Effect of static shape deformation on aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics of hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jinghui; Lin, Guiping; Bu, Xueqin; Fu, Shiming; Chao, Yanmeng

2017-07-01

The inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (IAD), which allows heavier and larger payloads and offers flexibility in landing site selection at higher altitudes, possesses potential superiority in next generation space transport system. However, due to the flexibilities of material and structure assembly, IAD inevitably experiences surface deformation during atmospheric entry, which in turn alters the flowfield around the vehicle and leads to the variations of aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics. In the current study, the effect of the static shape deformation on the hypersonic aerodynamics and aerothermodynamics of a stacked tori Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) is demonstrated and analyzed in detail by solving compressible Navier-Stokes equations with Menter's shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model. The deformed shape is obtained by structural modeling in the presence of maximum aerodynamic pressure during entry. The numerical results show that the undulating shape deformation makes significant difference to flow structure. In particular, the more curved outboard forebody surface results in local flow separations and reattachments in valleys, which consequently yields remarkable fluctuations of surface conditions with pressure rising in valleys yet dropping on crests while shear stress and heat flux falling in valleys yet rising on crests. Accordingly, compared with the initial (undeformed) shape, the corresponding differences of surface conditions get more striking outboard, with maximum augmentations of 379 pa, 2224 pa, and 19.0 W/cm2, i.e., 9.8%, 305.9%, and 101.6% for the pressure, shear stress and heat flux respectively. Moreover, it is found that, with the increase of angle of attack, the aerodynamic characters and surface heating vary and the aeroheating disparities are evident between the deformed and initial shape. For the deformable HIAD model investigated in this study, the more intense surface conditions and changed flight

Aerodynamically shaped vortex generators

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Martin Otto Laver; Velte, Clara Marika; Øye, Stig

2016-01-01

An aerodynamically shaped vortex generator has been proposed, manufactured and tested in a wind tunnel. The effect on the overall performance when applied on a thick airfoil is an increased lift to drag ratio compared with standard vortex generators. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd....

The Effect of Aerodynamic Evaluators on the Multi-Objective Optimization of Flatback Airfoils

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, M.; Slew, K. Lee; Matida, E.

2016-09-01

With the long lengths of today's wind turbine rotor blades, there is a need to reduce the mass, thereby requiring stiffer airfoils, while maintaining the aerodynamic efficiency of the airfoils, particularly in the inboard region of the blade where structural demands are highest. Using a genetic algorithm, the multi-objective aero-structural optimization of 30% thick flatback airfoils was systematically performed for a variety of aerodynamic evaluators such as lift-to-drag ratio (Cl/Cd), torque (Ct), and torque-to-thrust ratio (Ct/Cn) to determine their influence on airfoil shape and performance. The airfoil optimized for Ct possessed a 4.8% thick trailing-edge, and a rather blunt leading-edge region which creates high levels of lift and correspondingly, drag. It's ability to maintain similar levels of lift and drag under forced transition conditions proved it's insensitivity to roughness. The airfoil optimized for Cl/Cd displayed relatively poor insensitivity to roughness due to the rather aft-located free transition points. The Ct/Cn optimized airfoil was found to have a very similar shape to that of the Cl/Cd airfoil, with a slightly more blunt leading-edge which aided in providing higher levels of lift and moderate insensitivity to roughness. The influence of the chosen aerodynamic evaluator under the specified conditions and constraints in the optimization of wind turbine airfoils is shown to have a direct impact on the airfoil shape and performance.

Shape Optimization of Wind Turbine Blades

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Xudong; Shen, Wen Zhong; Zhu, Wei Jun

2009-01-01

of the rotor. The design variables used in the current study are the blade shape parameters, including chord, twist and relative thickness. To validate the implementation of the aerodynamic/aero-elastic model, the computed aerodynamic results are compared to experimental data for the experimental rotor used...... in the European Commision-sponsored project Model Experiments in Controlled Conditions, (MEXICO) and the computed aero-elastic results are examined against the FLEX code for flow post the Tjereborg 2 MW rotor. To illustrate the optimization technique, three wind turbine rotors of different sizes (the MEXICO 25 k...

Airfoil shape optimization using non-traditional optimization technique and its validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Mukesh

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Computational fluid dynamics (CFD is one of the computer-based solution methods which is more widely employed in aerospace engineering. The computational power and time required to carry out the analysis increase as the fidelity of the analysis increases. Aerodynamic shape optimization has become a vital part of aircraft design in the recent years. Generally if we want to optimize an airfoil we have to describe the airfoil and for that, we need to have at least hundred points of x and y co-ordinates. It is really difficult to optimize airfoils with this large number of co-ordinates. Nowadays many different schemes of parameter sets are used to describe general airfoil such as B-spline, and PARSEC. The main goal of these parameterization schemes is to reduce the number of needed parameters as few as possible while controlling the important aerodynamic features effectively. Here the work has been done on the PARSEC geometry representation method. The objective of this work is to introduce the knowledge of describing general airfoil using twelve parameters by representing its shape as a polynomial function. And also we have introduced the concept of Genetic Algorithm to optimize the aerodynamic characteristics of a general airfoil for specific conditions. A MATLAB program has been developed to implement PARSEC, Panel Technique, and Genetic Algorithm. This program has been tested for a standard NACA 2411 airfoil and optimized to improve its coefficient of lift. Pressure distribution and co-efficient of lift for airfoil geometries have been calculated using the Panel method. The optimized airfoil has improved co-efficient of lift compared to the original one. The optimized airfoil is validated using wind tunnel data.

Project Analysis of Aerodynamics Configuration of Re-entry Сapsule-shaped Body Based on Numerical Methods for Newtonian Flow Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. E. Minenko

2015-01-01

engineering technique allows a multi-fold increasing rate of the capsule shape analysis at an early designing stage. Reviewed design parameters can be further considered as the optimality criteria when choosing the SC shape, and the engineering technique can be further extended to a full-fledged programme on the numerical selection of the optimal aerodynamic solutions with continuously transferred results for engineering development of the SC.

A quantitative flow visualization technique for on-site sport aerodynamics optimization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sciacchitano, A.; Caridi, G.; Scarano, F.

2015-01-01

Aerodynamics plays a crucial role in many speed sports, where races are often won by fractions of a second. A thorough understanding of the flow field around an athlete is of paramount importance to optimize the athletes’ posture, garment roughness and equipment shape to achieve the minimum

Elastically Shaped Wing Optimization and Aircraft Concept for Improved Cruise Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Nhan; Trinh, Khanh; Reynolds, Kevin; Kless, James; Aftosmis, Michael; Urnes, James, Sr.; Ippolito, Corey

2013-01-01

This paper presents the findings of a study conducted tn 2010 by the NASA Innovation Fund Award project entitled "Elastically Shaped Future Air Vehicle Concept". The study presents three themes in support of meeting national and global aviation challenges of reducing fuel burn for present and future aviation systems. The first theme addresses the drag reduction goal through innovative vehicle configurations via non-planar wing optimization. Two wing candidate concepts have been identified from the wing optimization: a drooped wing shape and an inflected wing shape. The drooped wing shape is a truly biologically inspired wing concept that mimics a seagull wing and could achieve about 5% to 6% drag reduction, which is aerodynamically significant. From a practical perspective, this concept would require new radical changes to the current aircraft development capabilities for new vehicles with futuristic-looking wings such as this concept. The inflected wing concepts could achieve between 3% to 4% drag reduction. While the drag reduction benefit may be less, the inflected-wing concept could have a near-term impact since this concept could be developed within the current aircraft development capabilities. The second theme addresses the drag reduction goal through a new concept of elastic wing shaping control. By aeroelastically tailoring the wing shape with active control to maintain optimal aerodynamics, a significant drag reduction benefit could be realized. A significant reduction in fuel burn for long-range cruise from elastic wing shaping control could be realized. To realize the potential of the elastic wing shaping control concept, the third theme emerges that addresses the drag reduction goal through a new aerodynamic control effector called a variable camber continuous trailing edge flap. Conventional aerodynamic control surfaces are discrete independent surfaces that cause geometric discontinuities at the trailing edge region. These discontinuities promote

Integrated optimization on aerodynamics-structure coupling and flight stability of a large airplane in preliminary design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaozhe WANG

2018-06-01

Full Text Available The preliminary phase is significant during the whole design process of a large airplane because of its enormous potential in enhancing the overall performance. However, classical sequential designs can hardly adapt to modern airplanes, due to their repeated iterations, long periods, and massive computational burdens. Multidisciplinary analysis and optimization demonstrates the capability to tackle such complex design issues. In this paper, an integrated optimization method for the preliminary design of a large airplane is proposed, accounting for aerodynamics, structure, and stability. Aeroelastic responses are computed by a rapid three-dimensional flight load analysis method combining the high-order panel method and the structural elasticity correction. The flow field is determined by the viscous/inviscid iteration method, and the cruise stability is evaluated by the linear small-disturbance theory. Parametric optimization is carried out using genetic algorithm to seek the minimal weight of a simplified plate-beam wing structure in the cruise trim condition subject to aeroelastic, aerodynamic, and stability constraints, and the optimal wing geometry shape, front/rear spar positions, and structural sizes are obtained simultaneously. To reduce the computational burden of the static aeroelasticity analysis in the optimization process, the Kriging method is employed to predict aerodynamic influence coefficient matrices of different aerodynamic shapes. The multidisciplinary analyses guarantee computational accuracy and efficiency, and the integrated optimization considers the coupling effect sufficiently between different disciplines to improve the overall performance, avoiding the limitations of sequential approaches utilized currently. Keywords: Aeroelasticity, Integrated optimization, Multidisciplinary analysis, Large airplane, Preliminary design

Low Complexity Models to improve Incomplete Sensitivities for Shape Optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Stanciu, Mugurel; Mohammadi, Bijan; Moreau, Stéphane

2003-01-01

The present global platform for simulation and design of multi-model configurations treat shape optimization problems in aerodynamics. Flow solvers are coupled with optimization algorithms based on CAD-free and CAD-connected frameworks. Newton methods together with incomplete expressions of gradients are used. Such incomplete sensitivities are improved using reduced models based on physical assumptions. The validity and the application of this approach in real-life problems are presented. The numerical examples concern shape optimization for an airfoil, a business jet and a car engine cooling axial fan.

A Hybrid Metaheuristic-Based Approach for the Aerodynamic Optimization of Small Hybrid Wind Turbine Rotors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José F. Herbert-Acero

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This work presents a novel framework for the aerodynamic design and optimization of blades for small horizontal axis wind turbines (WT. The framework is based on a state-of-the-art blade element momentum model, which is complemented with the XFOIL 6.96 software in order to provide an estimate of the sectional blade aerodynamics. The framework considers an innovative nested-hybrid solution procedure based on two metaheuristics, the virtual gene genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm, to provide a near-optimal solution to the problem. The objective of the study is to maximize the aerodynamic efficiency of small WT (SWT rotors for a wide range of operational conditions. The design variables are (1 the airfoil shape at the different blade span positions and the radial variation of the geometrical variables of (2 chord length, (3 twist angle, and (4 thickness along the blade span. A wind tunnel validation study of optimized rotors based on the NACA 4-digit airfoil series is presented. Based on the experimental data, improvements in terms of the aerodynamic efficiency, the cut-in wind speed, and the amount of material used during the manufacturing process were achieved. Recommendations for the aerodynamic design of SWT rotors are provided based on field experience.

Shape Optimization of Impeller Blades for 15,000 HP Centrifugal Compressor Using Fluid Structural Interaction Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Hyun Su; Oh, Jeongsu; Han, Jeong Sam

2014-01-01

This paper discusses a one-way fluid structural interaction (FSI) analysis and shape optimization of the impeller blades for a 15,000 HP centrifugal compressor using the response surface method (RSM). Because both the aerodynamic performance and the structural safety of the impeller are affected by the shape of its blades, shape optimization is necessary using the FSI analysis, which includes a structural analysis for the induced fluid pressure and centrifugal force. The FSI analysis is performed in ANSYS Workbench: ANSYS CFX is used for the flow field and ANSYS Mechanical is used for the structural field. The response surfaces for the FSI results (efficiency, pressure ratio, maximum stress, etc.) generated based on the design of experiments (DOE) are used to find an optimal shape for the impeller blades, which provides the maximum aerodynamic performance subject to the structural safety constraints

Shape Optimization of Impeller Blades for 15,000 HP Centrifugal Compressor Using Fluid Structural Interaction Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Hyun Su [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Oh, Jeongsu [Daejoo Machinery Co., Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Han, Jeong Sam [Andong National University, Andong (Korea, Republic of)

2014-06-15

This paper discusses a one-way fluid structural interaction (FSI) analysis and shape optimization of the impeller blades for a 15,000 HP centrifugal compressor using the response surface method (RSM). Because both the aerodynamic performance and the structural safety of the impeller are affected by the shape of its blades, shape optimization is necessary using the FSI analysis, which includes a structural analysis for the induced fluid pressure and centrifugal force. The FSI analysis is performed in ANSYS Workbench: ANSYS CFX is used for the flow field and ANSYS Mechanical is used for the structural field. The response surfaces for the FSI results (efficiency, pressure ratio, maximum stress, etc.) generated based on the design of experiments (DOE) are used to find an optimal shape for the impeller blades, which provides the maximum aerodynamic performance subject to the structural safety constraints.

Aerodynamic Optimization of Airfoil Profiles for Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Cemal Benim

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is the development of an automated two-dimensional airfoil shape optimization procedure for small horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT, with an emphasis on high thrust and aerodynamically stable performance. The procedure combines the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD analysis with the Response Surface Methodology (RSM, the Biobjective Mesh Adaptive Direct Search (BiMADS optimization algorithm and an automatic geometry and mesh generation tool. In CFD analysis, a Reynolds Averaged Numerical Simulation (RANS is applied in combination with a two-equation turbulence model. For describing the system behaviour under alternating wind conditions, a number of CFD 2D-RANS-Simulations with varying Reynolds numbers and wind angles are performed. The number of cases is reduced by the use of RSM. In the analysis, an emphasis is placed upon the role of the blade-to-blade interaction. The average and the standard deviation of the thrust are optimized by a derivative-free optimization algorithm to define a Pareto optimal set, using the BiMADS algorithm. The results show that improvements in the performance can be achieved by modifications of the blade shape and the present procedure can be used as an effective tool for blade shape optimization.

Uncertainty quantification-based robust aerodynamic optimization of laminar flow nacelle

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Neng; Tao, Yang; Liu, Zhiyong; Lin, Jun

2018-05-01

The aerodynamic performance of laminar flow nacelle is highly sensitive to uncertain working conditions, especially the surface roughness. An efficient robust aerodynamic optimization method on the basis of non-deterministic computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation and Efficient Global Optimization (EGO)algorithm was employed. A non-intrusive polynomial chaos method is used in conjunction with an existing well-verified CFD module to quantify the uncertainty propagation in the flow field. This paper investigates the roughness modeling behavior with the γ-Ret shear stress transport model including modeling flow transition and surface roughness effects. The roughness effects are modeled to simulate sand grain roughness. A Class-Shape Transformation-based parametrical description of the nacelle contour as part of an automatic design evaluation process is presented. A Design-of-Experiments (DoE) was performed and surrogate model by Kriging method was built. The new design nacelle process demonstrates that significant improvements of both mean and variance of the efficiency are achieved and the proposed method can be applied to laminar flow nacelle design successfully.

Estimation of morphing airfoil shapes and aerodynamic loads using artificial hair sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Nathan Scott

An active area of research in adaptive structures focuses on the use of continuous wing shape changing methods as a means of replacing conventional discrete control surfaces and increasing aerodynamic efficiency. Although many shape-changing methods have been used since the beginning of heavier-than-air flight, the concept of performing camber actuation on a fully-deformable airfoil has not been widely applied. A fundamental problem of applying this concept to real-world scenarios is the fact that camber actuation is a continuous, time-dependent process. Therefore, if camber actuation is to be used in a closed-loop feedback system, one must be able to determine the instantaneous airfoil shape, as well as the aerodynamic loads, in real time. One approach is to utilize a new type of artificial hair sensors (AHS) developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to determine the flow conditions surrounding deformable airfoils. In this study, AHS measurement data will be simulated by using the flow solver XFoil, with the assumption that perfect data with no noise can be collected from the AHS measurements. Such measurements will then be used in an artificial neural network (ANN) based process to approximate the instantaneous airfoil camber shape, lift coefficient, and moment coefficient at a given angle of attack. Additionally, an aerodynamic formulation based on the finite-state inflow theory has been developed to calculate the aerodynamic loads on thin airfoils with arbitrary camber deformations. Various aerodynamic properties approximated from the AHS/ANN system will be compared with the results of the finite-state inflow aerodynamic formulation in order to validate the approximation approach.

Rotor cascade shape optimization with unsteady passing wakes using implicit dual time stepping method

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eun Seok

2000-10-01

An improved aerodynamics performance of a turbine cascade shape can be achieved by an understanding of the flow-field associated with the stator-rotor interaction. In this research, an axial gas turbine airfoil cascade shape is optimized for improved aerodynamic performance by using an unsteady Navier-Stokes solver and a parallel genetic algorithm. The objective of the research is twofold: (1) to develop a computational fluid dynamics code having faster convergence rate and unsteady flow simulation capabilities, and (2) to optimize a turbine airfoil cascade shape with unsteady passing wakes for improved aerodynamic performance. The computer code solves the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations. It is based on the explicit, finite difference, Runge-Kutta time marching scheme and the Diagonalized Alternating Direction Implicit (DADI) scheme, with the Baldwin-Lomax algebraic and k-epsilon turbulence modeling. Improvements in the code focused on the cascade shape design capability, convergence acceleration and unsteady formulation. First, the inverse shape design method was implemented in the code to provide the design capability, where a surface transpiration concept was employed as an inverse technique to modify the geometry satisfying the user specified pressure distribution on the airfoil surface. Second, an approximation storage multigrid method was implemented as an acceleration technique. Third, the preconditioning method was adopted to speed up the convergence rate in solving the low Mach number flows. Finally, the implicit dual time stepping method was incorporated in order to simulate the unsteady flow-fields. For the unsteady code validation, the Stokes's 2nd problem and the Poiseuille flow were chosen and compared with the computed results and analytic solutions. To test the code's ability to capture the natural unsteady flow phenomena, vortex shedding past a cylinder and the shock oscillation over a bicircular airfoil were simulated and compared with

Aerodynamic optimization of the blades of diffuser-augmented wind turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaz, Jerson R.P.; Wood, David H.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • An optimization procedure to design shrouded wind turbine blades is proposed. • The procedure relies on the diffuser speed-up ratio. • The diffuser speed-up ratio increases the velocity at the rotor plane. • Chord and twist angle are optimized for typical speed-up ratios. • The procedure is applicable for any tip-speed ratio greater than 1. - Abstract: Adding an exit diffuser is known to allow wind turbines to exceed the classical Betz–Joukowsky limit for a bare turbine. It is not clear, however, if there is a limit for diffuser-augmented turbines or whether the structural and other costs of the diffuser outweigh any gain in power. This work presents a new approach to the aerodynamic optimization of a wind turbine with a diffuser. It is based on an extension of the well-known Blade Element Theory and a simple model for diffuser efficiency. It is assumed that the same conditions for the axial velocity in the wake of an ordinary wind turbine can be applied on the flow far downwind of the diffuser outlet. An algorithm to optimize the blade chord and twist angle distributions in the presence of a diffuser was developed and implemented. As a result, an aerodynamic improvement of the turbine rotor geometry was achieved with the blade shape sensitive to the diffuser speed-up ratio. In order to evaluate the proposed approach, a comparison with the classical Glauert optimization was performed for a flanged diffuser, which increased the efficiency. In addition, a comparative assessment was made with experimental results available in the literature, suggesting better performance for the rotor designed with the proposed optimization procedure.

Experimental demonstration of wind turbine noise reduction through optimized airfoil shape and trailing-edge serrations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oerlemans, S. [National Aerospace Laboratory NLR, Emmeloord (Netherlands); Schepers, J.G. [Unit Wind Energy, Energy research Centre of the Netherlands ECN, Petten (Netherlands); Guidati, G.; Wagner, S. [Institut fuer Aerodynamik und Gasdynamik IAG, Universitaet Stuttgart (Germany)

2001-07-15

The objective of the European project DATA (Design and Testing of Acoustically Optimized Airfoils for Wind Turbines) is a reduction of trailing-edge (TE) noise by modifying the airfoil shape and/or the application of trailing-edge serrations. This paper describes validation measurements that were performed in the DNW-LLF wind tunnel, on a model scale wind turbine with a two-bladed 4.5 m diameter rotor which was designed in the project. Measurements were done for one reference- and two acoustically optimized rotors, for varying flow conditions. The aerodynamic performance of the rotors was measured using a torque meter in the hub, and further aerodynamic information was obtained from flow visualization on the blades. The acoustic measurements were done with a 136 microphone out-of-flow acoustic array. Besides the location of the noise sources in the (stationary) rotor plane, a new acoustic processing method enabled identification of dominant noise source regions on the rotating blades. The results show dominant noise sources at the trailing-edge of the blade, close to the tip. The optimized airfoil shapes result in a significant reduction of TE noise levels with respect to the reference rotor, without loss in power production. A further reduction can be achieved by the application of trailing-edge serrations. The aerodynamic measurements are generally in good agreement with the aerodynamic predictions made during the design of the model turbine.

Aerodynamics and Optimal Design of Biplane Wind Turbine Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Phillip

In order to improve energy capture and reduce the cost of wind energy, in the past few decades wind turbines have grown significantly larger. As their blades get longer, the design of the inboard region (near the blade root) becomes a trade-off between competing structural and aerodynamic requirements. State-of-the-art blades require thick airfoils near the root to efficiently support large loads inboard, but those thick airfoils have inherently poor aerodynamic performance. New designs are required to circumvent this design compromise. One such design is the "biplane blade", in which the thick airfoils in the inboard region are replaced with thinner airfoils in a biplane configuration. This design was shown previously to have significantly increased structural performance over conventional blades. In addition, the biplane airfoils can provide increased lift and aerodynamic efficiency compared to thick monoplane inboard airfoils, indicating a potential for increased power extraction. This work investigates the fundamental aerodynamic aspects, aerodynamic design and performance, and optimal structural design of the biplane blade. First, the two-dimensional aerodynamics of biplanes with relatively thick airfoils are investigated, showing unique phenomena which arise as a result of airfoil thickness. Next, the aerodynamic design of the full biplane blade is considered. Two biplane blades are designed for optimal aerodynamic loading, and their aerodynamic performance quantified. Considering blades with practical chord distributions and including the drag of the mid-blade joint, it is shown that biplane blades have comparable power output to conventional monoplane designs. The results of this analysis also show that the biplane blades can be designed with significantly less chord than conventional designs, a characteristic which enables larger blade designs. The aerodynamic loads on the biplane blades are shown to be increased in gust conditions and decreased under

On the shape optimization of flapping wings and their performance analysis

KAUST Repository

Ghommem, Mehdi

2014-01-01

The present work is concerned with the shape optimization of flapping wings in forward flight. The analysis is performed by combining a gradient-based optimizer with the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM). We describe the UVLM simulation procedure and provide the first methodology to select properly the mesh and time-step sizes to achieve invariant UVLM simulation results under mesh refinement. Our objective is to identify a set of optimized shapes that maximize the propulsive efficiency, defined as the ratio of the propulsive power over the aerodynamic power, under lift, thrust, and area constraints. Several parameters affecting flight performance are investigated and their impact is described. These include the wingÊ1/4s aspect ratio, camber line, and curvature of the leading and trailing edges. This study provides guidance for shape design of engineered flying systems. © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS.

Optimized aerodynamic design process for subsonic transport wing fitted with winglets. [wind tunnel model

Science.gov (United States)

Kuhlman, J. M.

1979-01-01

The aerodynamic design of a wind-tunnel model of a wing representative of that of a subsonic jet transport aircraft, fitted with winglets, was performed using two recently developed optimal wing-design computer programs. Both potential flow codes use a vortex lattice representation of the near-field of the aerodynamic surfaces for determination of the required mean camber surfaces for minimum induced drag, and both codes use far-field induced drag minimization procedures to obtain the required spanloads. One code uses a discrete vortex wake model for this far-field drag computation, while the second uses a 2-D advanced panel wake model. Wing camber shapes for the two codes are very similar, but the resulting winglet camber shapes differ widely. Design techniques and considerations for these two wind-tunnel models are detailed, including a description of the necessary modifications of the design geometry to format it for use by a numerically controlled machine for the actual model construction.

Conceptual shape optimization of entry vehicles applied to capsules and winged fuselage vehicles

CERN Document Server

Dirkx, Dominic

2017-01-01

This book covers the parameterization of entry capsules, including Apollo capsules and planetary probes, and winged entry vehicles such as the Space Shuttle and lifting bodies. The aerodynamic modelling is based on a variety of panel methods that take shadowing into account, and it has been validated with flight and wind tunnel data of Apollo and the Space Shuttle. The shape optimization is combined with constrained trajectory analysis, and the multi-objective approach provides the engineer with a Pareto front of optimal shapes. The method detailed in Conceptual Shape Optimization of Entry Vehicles is straightforward, and the output gives the engineer insight in the effect of shape variations on trajectory performance. All applied models and algorithms used are explained in detail, allowing for reconstructing the design tool to the researcher’s requirements. Conceptual Shape Optimization of Entry Vehicles will be of interest to both researchers and graduate students in the field of aerospace engineering, an...

Aerodynamic Optimization of an Over-the-Wing-Nacelle-Mount Configuration

OpenAIRE

Sasaki, Daisuke; Nakahashi, Kazuhiro

2011-01-01

An over-the-wing-nacelle-mount airplane configuration is known to prevent the noise propagation from jet engines toward ground. However, the configuration is assumed to have low aerodynamic efficiency due to the aerodynamic interference effect between a wing and a nacelle. In this paper, aerodynamic design optimization is conducted to improve aerodynamic efficiency to be equivalent to conventional under-the-wing-nacelle-mount configuration. The nacelle and wing geometry are modified to achiev...

Intelligent design optimization of a shape-memory-alloy-actuated reconfigurable wing

Science.gov (United States)

Lagoudas, Dimitris C.; Strelec, Justin K.; Yen, John; Khan, Mohammad A.

2000-06-01

The unique thermal and mechanical properties offered by shape memory alloys (SMAs) present exciting possibilities in the field of aerospace engineering. When properly trained, SMA wires act as linear actuators by contracting when heated and returning to their original shape when cooled. It has been shown experimentally that the overall shape of an airfoil can be altered by activating several attached SMA wire actuators. This shape-change can effectively increase the efficiency of a wing in flight at several different flow regimes. To determine the necessary placement of these wire actuators within the wing, an optimization method that incorporates a fully-coupled structural, thermal, and aerodynamic analysis has been utilized. Due to the complexity of the fully-coupled analysis, intelligent optimization methods such as genetic algorithms have been used to efficiently converge to an optimal solution. The genetic algorithm used in this case is a hybrid version with global search and optimization capabilities augmented by the simplex method as a local search technique. For the reconfigurable wing, each chromosome represents a realizable airfoil configuration and its genes are the SMA actuators, described by their location and maximum transformation strain. The genetic algorithm has been used to optimize this design problem to maximize the lift-to-drag ratio for a reconfigured airfoil shape.

Numerical investigation of different tip shapes for wind turbine blades. Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic aspects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aagaard Madsen, H.; Fuglsang, P.

1996-12-01

The aerodynamic optimization of the tip region is discussed and it is concluded that in principle there is no main difference to the optimization problem of the rest of the blade except that the performance of the aerodynamic models as, e.g., the blade element momentum theory (BEM) is more uncertain in this region due to the complex, three dimensional flow field. It is shown that an optimization of an entire blade in general leads to a slender tip with a chord decreasing to zero at the blade tip. Finally, the influence on the blade aerodynamics from minor changes of the planform in the tip region is illustrated. Two common aeroacoustic models are reviewed. The aerodynamic input parameters to both models are strength of the tip vortex and the length of the separated flow bubble formed by the tip vortex at the trailing edge. In the original aeroacoustic models these two parameters are calculated from empirical relations based on different experiments, e.g., using flow visualization. In the present work the two parameters was compared with the results of a CFD calculation of the flow around a rectangular shaped tip. The principal influence of sweep of the tip axis has also been investigated from detailed CFD simulations. It is found that sweeping the leading edge towards the trailing edge results in a stronger flow separation at moderate and high angles of attack compared to, when the trailing edge is swept towards the leading edge. This can have a considerable influence on the total loading on the blade. Similar tendencies have been found in full scale experiments. At the end of the report the application of the results from the present study are discussed for practical tip design. As the tip noise is linked to the strength of the tip vortex and the extension of the separation region these two parameters should be reduced in order to lower the tip noise. (Abstract Truncated)

aerodynamics and heat transfer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. N. Rajadas

1998-01-01

Full Text Available A multidisciplinary optimization procedure, with the integration of aerodynamic and heat transfer criteria, has been developed for the design of gas turbine blades. Two different optimization formulations have been used. In the first formulation, the maximum temperature in the blade section is chosen as the objective function to be minimized. An upper bound constraint is imposed on the blade average temperature and a lower bound constraint is imposed on the blade tangential force coefficient. In the second formulation, the blade average and maximum temperatures are chosen as objective functions. In both formulations, bounds are imposed on the velocity gradients at several points along the surface of the airfoil to eliminate leading edge velocity spikes which deteriorate aerodynamic performance. Shape optimization is performed using the blade external and coolant path geometric parameters as design variables. Aerodynamic analysis is performed using a panel code. Heat transfer analysis is performed using the finite element method. A gradient based procedure in conjunction with an approximate analysis technique is used for optimization. The results obtained using both optimization techniques are compared with a reference geometry. Both techniques yield significant improvements with the multiobjective formulation resulting in slightly superior design.

Variable Camber Continuous Aerodynamic Control Surfaces and Methods for Active Wing Shaping Control

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Nhan T. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

An aerodynamic control apparatus for an air vehicle improves various aerodynamic performance metrics by employing multiple spanwise flap segments that jointly form a continuous or a piecewise continuous trailing edge to minimize drag induced by lift or vortices. At least one of the multiple spanwise flap segments includes a variable camber flap subsystem having multiple chordwise flap segments that may be independently actuated. Some embodiments also employ a continuous leading edge slat system that includes multiple spanwise slat segments, each of which has one or more chordwise slat segment. A method and an apparatus for implementing active control of a wing shape are also described and include the determination of desired lift distribution to determine the improved aerodynamic deflection of the wings. Flap deflections are determined and control signals are generated to actively control the wing shape to approximate the desired deflection.

Optimization of wind turbine rotors - using advanced aerodynamic and aeroelastic models and numerical optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Døssing, Mads

of very large machines introduces new problems in the practical design, and optimization tools are necessary. These must combine the dynamic eects of both aerodynamics and structure in an integrated optimization environment. This is referred to as aeroelastic optimization. The Ris DTU optimization...... software HAWTOPT has been used in this project. The quasi-steady aerodynamic module have been improved with a corrected blade element momentum method. A structure module has also been developed which lays out the blade structural properties. This is done in a simplied way allowing fast conceptual design...... studies and with focus on the overall properties relevant for the aeroelastic properties. Aeroelastic simulations in the time domain were carried out using the aeroelastic code HAWC2. With these modules coupled to HAWTOPT, optimizations have been made. In parallel with the developments of the mentioned...

Estimation of morphing airfoil shape and aerodynamic load using artificial hair sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Nathan S.; Su, Weihua; Thapa Magar, Kaman S.; Reich, Gregory W.

2016-04-01

An active area of research in adaptive structures focuses on the use of continuous wing shape changing methods as a means of replacing conventional discrete control surfaces and increasing aerodynamic efficiency. Although many shape-changing methods have been used since the beginning of heavier-than-air flight, the concept of performing camber actuation on a fully-deformable airfoil has not been widely applied. A fundamental problem of applying this concept to real-world scenarios is the fact that camber actuation is a continuous, time-dependent process. Therefore, if camber actuation is to be used in a closed-loop feedback system, one must be able to determine the instantaneous airfoil shape as well as the aerodynamic loads at all times. One approach is to utilize a new type of artificial hair sensors developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory to determine the flow conditions surrounding deformable airfoils. In this work, the hair sensor measurement data will be simulated by using the flow solver XFoil, with the assumption that perfect data with no noise can be collected from the hair sensor measurements. Such measurements will then be used in an artificial neural network based process to approximate the instantaneous airfoil camber shape, lift coefficient, and moment coefficient at a given angle of attack. Various aerodynamic and geometrical properties approximated from the artificial hair sensor and artificial neural network system will be compared with the results of XFoil in order to validate the approximation approach.

Optimization of aerodynamic efficiency for twist morphing MAV wing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.I. Ismail

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Twist morphing (TM is a practical control technique in micro air vehicle (MAV flight. However, TM wing has a lower aerodynamic efficiency (CL/CD compared to membrane and rigid wing. This is due to massive drag penalty created on TM wing, which had overwhelmed the successive increase in its lift generation. Therefore, further CL/CDmax optimization on TM wing is needed to obtain the optimal condition for the morphing wing configuration. In this paper, two-way fluid–structure interaction (FSI simulation and wind tunnel testing method are used to solve and study the basic wing aerodynamic performance over (non-optimal TM, membrane and rigid wings. Then, a multifidelity data metamodel based design optimization (MBDO process is adopted based on the Ansys-DesignXplorer frameworks. In the adaptive MBDO process, Kriging metamodel is used to construct the final multifidelity CL/CD responses by utilizing 23 multi-fidelity sample points from the FSI simulation and experimental data. The optimization results show that the optimal TM wing configuration is able to produce better CL/CDmax magnitude by at least 2% than the non-optimal TM wings. The flow structure formation reveals that low TV strength on the optimal TM wing induces low CD generation which in turn improves its overall CL/CDmax performance.

Aerodynamic shape optimization for alleviating dynamic stall characteristics of helicopter rotor airfoil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Qing

2015-04-01

Full Text Available In order to alleviate the dynamic stall effects in helicopter rotor, the sequential quadratic programming (SQP method is employed to optimize the characteristics of airfoil under dynamic stall conditions based on the SC1095 airfoil. The geometry of airfoil is parameterized by the class-shape-transformation (CST method, and the C-topology body-fitted mesh is then automatically generated around the airfoil by solving the Poisson equations. Based on the grid generation technology, the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS equations are chosen as the governing equations for predicting airfoil flow field and the highly-efficient implicit scheme of lower–upper symmetric Gauss–Seidel (LU-SGS is adopted for temporal discretization. To capture the dynamic stall phenomenon of the rotor more accurately, the Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model is employed to close the RANS equations. The optimized airfoil with a larger leading edge radius and camber is obtained. The leading edge vortex and trailing edge separation of the optimized airfoil under unsteady conditions are obviously weakened, and the dynamic stall characteristics of optimized airfoil at different Mach numbers, reduced frequencies and angles of attack are also obviously improved compared with the baseline SC1095 airfoil. It is demonstrated that the optimized method is effective and the optimized airfoil is suitable as the helicopter rotor airfoil.

Generation of Fullspan Leading-Edge 3D Ice Shapes for Swept-Wing Aerodynamic Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Camello, Stephanie C.; Lee, Sam; Lum, Christopher; Bragg, Michael B.

2016-01-01

The deleterious effect of ice accretion on aircraft is often assessed through dry-air flight and wind tunnel testing with artificial ice shapes. This paper describes a method to create fullspan swept-wing artificial ice shapes from partial span ice segments acquired in the NASA Glenn Icing Reserch Tunnel for aerodynamic wind-tunnel testing. Full-scale ice accretion segments were laser scanned from the Inboard, Midspan, and Outboard wing station models of the 65% scale Common Research Model (CRM65) aircraft configuration. These were interpolated and extrapolated using a weighted averaging method to generate fullspan ice shapes from the root to the tip of the CRM65 wing. The results showed that this interpolation method was able to preserve many of the highly three dimensional features typically found on swept-wing ice accretions. The interpolated fullspan ice shapes were then scaled to fit the leading edge of a 8.9% scale version of the CRM65 wing for aerodynamic wind-tunnel testing. Reduced fidelity versions of the fullspan ice shapes were also created where most of the local three-dimensional features were removed. The fullspan artificial ice shapes and the reduced fidelity versions were manufactured using stereolithography.

Multidisciplinary Shape Optimization of a Composite Blended Wing Body Aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Boozer, Charles Maxwell

A multidisciplinary shape optimization tool coupling aerodynamics, structure, and performance was developed for battery powered aircraft. Utilizing high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics analysis tools and a structural wing weight tool, coupled based on the multidisciplinary feasible optimization architecture; aircraft geometry is modified in the optimization of the aircraft's range or endurance. The developed tool is applied to three geometries: a hybrid blended wing body, delta wing UAS, the ONERA M6 wing, and a modified ONERA M6 wing. First, the optimization problem is presented with the objective function, constraints, and design vector. Next, the tool's architecture and the analysis tools that are utilized are described. Finally, various optimizations are described and their results analyzed for all test subjects. Results show that less computationally expensive inviscid optimizations yield positive performance improvements using planform, airfoil, and three-dimensional degrees of freedom. From the results obtained through a series of optimizations, it is concluded that the newly developed tool is both effective at improving performance and serves as a platform ready to receive additional performance modules, further improving its computational design support potential.

Aerodynamic multi-objective integrated optimization based on principal component analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiangtao HUANG

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Based on improved multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO algorithm with principal component analysis (PCA methodology, an efficient high-dimension multi-objective optimization method is proposed, which, as the purpose of this paper, aims to improve the convergence of Pareto front in multi-objective optimization design. The mathematical efficiency, the physical reasonableness and the reliability in dealing with redundant objectives of PCA are verified by typical DTLZ5 test function and multi-objective correlation analysis of supercritical airfoil, and the proposed method is integrated into aircraft multi-disciplinary design (AMDEsign platform, which contains aerodynamics, stealth and structure weight analysis and optimization module. Then the proposed method is used for the multi-point integrated aerodynamic optimization of a wide-body passenger aircraft, in which the redundant objectives identified by PCA are transformed to optimization constraints, and several design methods are compared. The design results illustrate that the strategy used in this paper is sufficient and multi-point design requirements of the passenger aircraft are reached. The visualization level of non-dominant Pareto set is improved by effectively reducing the dimension without losing the primary feature of the problem.

Review of design optimization methods for turbomachinery aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhihui; Zheng, Xinqian

2017-08-01

In today's competitive environment, new turbomachinery designs need to be not only more efficient, quieter, and ;greener; but also need to be developed at on much shorter time scales and at lower costs. A number of advanced optimization strategies have been developed to achieve these requirements. This paper reviews recent progress in turbomachinery design optimization to solve real-world aerodynamic problems, especially for compressors and turbines. This review covers the following topics that are important for optimizing turbomachinery designs. (1) optimization methods, (2) stochastic optimization combined with blade parameterization methods and the design of experiment methods, (3) gradient-based optimization methods for compressors and turbines and (4) data mining techniques for Pareto Fronts. We also present our own insights regarding the current research trends and the future optimization of turbomachinery designs.

The aerodynamic design of an advanced rotor airfoil

Science.gov (United States)

Blackwell, J. A., Jr.; Hinson, B. L.

1978-01-01

An advanced rotor airfoil, designed utilizing supercritical airfoil technology and advanced design and analysis methodology is described. The airfoil was designed subject to stringent aerodynamic design criteria for improving the performance over the entire rotor operating regime. The design criteria are discussed. The design was accomplished using a physical plane, viscous, transonic inverse design procedure, and a constrained function minimization technique for optimizing the airfoil leading edge shape. The aerodynamic performance objectives of the airfoil are discussed.

Aerodynamic Optimization of a Supersonic Bending Body Projectile by a Vector-Evaluated Genetic Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

of offspring populations, the Student’s t-distribution is used as the convergence method. Equations 10–12 are the mean , variance , and standard...ARL-CR-0810 ● DEC 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Aerodynamic Optimization of a Supersonic Bending Body Projectile by a Vector...not return it to the originator. ARL-CR-0810 ● DEC 2016 US Army Research Laboratory Aerodynamic Optimization of a

Development of a morphing flap using shape memory alloy actuators: the aerodynamic characteristics of a morphing flap

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Seung-Hee; Bae, Jae-Sung; Rho, Jin-Ho

2014-01-01

The discontinuous contour of a wing with conventional flaps diminishes the aerodynamic performance of an aircraft. A wing with a continuous contour does not experience extreme flow stream fluctuations during flight, and consequently has good aerodynamic characteristics. In this study, a morphing flap using shape memory alloy actuators is proposed, designed and fabricated, and its aerodynamic characteristics are investigated using aerodynamic analyses and wind tunnel tests. The ribs of the morphing flap are designed and fabricated with multiple elements joined together in a way that allows relative rotations of adjacent elements and forms a smooth contour of the morphing flap. The aerodynamic analyses of this multiple-element morphing-flap wing are performed using XFLR pro; its aerodynamic performance is compared with that of a mechanical-flap wing, and is measured through wind-tunnel tests. (papers)

Simulation and control element design for a coupled aerodynamic/magnetic system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, E

1982-11-01

Aerodynamic effects are among the many problems raised by the Maglev technique and its industrial application, but until recently they were only regarded as disturbances. Theoretical studies as well as model experiments in wind and water tunnels were only interested in optimizing the shape of the vehicle cell. The most important goals of development were low sensitivity to side-wind and a neutral aerodynamic design of the vehicle nose. The present paper investigates the aerodynamic effects by means of extended models. Aerodynamic effects on the elevation control system are considered by a suitable control element structure.

CFD-based shape optimization of steam turbine blade cascade in transonic two phase flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noori Rahim Abadi, S.M.A.; Ahmadpour, A.; Abadi, S.M.N.R.; Meyer, J.P.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • CFD-based shape optimization of a nozzle and a turbine blade regarding nucleating steam flow is performed. • Nucleation rate and droplet radius are the best suited objective functions for the optimization process. • Maximum 34% reduction in entropy generation rate is reported for turbine cascade. • A maximum 10% reduction in Baumann factor and a maximum 2.1% increase in efficiency is achieved for a turbine cascade. - Abstract: In this study CFD-based shape optimization of a 3D nozzle and a 2D turbine blade cascade is undertaken in the presence of non-equilibrium condensation within the considered flow channels. A two-fluid formulation is used for the simulation of unsteady, turbulent, supersonic and compressible flow of wet steam accounting for relevant phase interaction between nucleated liquid droplets and continuous vapor phase. An in-house CFD code is developed to solve the governing equations of the two phase flow and was validated against available experimental data. Optimization is carried out in respect to various objective functions. It is shown that nucleation rate and maximum droplet radius are the best suited target functions for reducing thermodynamic and aerodynamic losses caused by the spontaneous nucleation. The maximum increase of 2.1% in turbine blade efficiency is achieved through shape optimization process.

Aerodynamic Optimization Based on Continuous Adjoint Method for a Flexible Wing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoke Xu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aerodynamic optimization based on continuous adjoint method for a flexible wing is developed using FORTRAN 90 in the present work. Aerostructural analysis is performed on the basis of high-fidelity models with Euler equations on the aerodynamic side and a linear quadrilateral shell element model on the structure side. This shell element can deal with both thin and thick shell problems with intersections, so this shell element is suitable for the wing structural model which consists of two spars, 20 ribs, and skin. The continuous adjoint formulations based on Euler equations and unstructured mesh are derived and used in the work. Sequential quadratic programming method is adopted to search for the optimal solution using the gradients from continuous adjoint method. The flow charts of rigid and flexible optimization are presented and compared. The objective is to minimize drag coefficient meanwhile maintaining lift coefficient for a rigid and flexible wing. A comparison between the results from aerostructural analysis of rigid optimization and flexible optimization is shown here to demonstrate that it is necessary to include the effect of aeroelasticity in the optimization design of a wing.

Optimization of rotor blades for combined structural, dynamic, and aerodynamic properties

Science.gov (United States)

He, Cheng-Jian; Peters, David A.

1990-01-01

Optimal helicopter blade design with computer-based mathematical programming has received more and more attention in recent years. Most of the research has focused on optimum dynamic characteristics of rotor blades to reduce vehicle vibration. There is also work on optimization of aerodynamic performance and on composite structural design. This research has greatly increased our understanding of helicopter optimum design in each of these aspects. Helicopter design is an inherently multidisciplinary process involving strong interactions among various disciplines which can appropriately include aerodynamics; dynamics, both flight dynamics and structural dynamics; aeroelasticity: vibrations and stability; and even acoustics. Therefore, the helicopter design process must satisfy manifold requirements related to the aforementioned diverse disciplines. In our present work, we attempt to combine several of these important effects in a unified manner. First, we design a blade with optimum aerodynamic performance by proper layout of blade planform and spanwise twist. Second, the blade is designed to have natural frequencies that are placed away from integer multiples of the rotor speed for a good dynamic characteristics. Third, the structure is made as light as possible with sufficient rotational inertia to allow for autorotational landing, with safe stress margins and flight fatigue life at each cross-section, and with aeroelastical stability and low vibrations. Finally, a unified optimization refines the solution.

Optimization of wind turbine rotors - using advanced aerodynamic and aeroelastic models and numerical optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doessing, M.

2011-05-15

During the last decades the annual energy produced by wind turbines has increased dramatically and wind turbines are now available in the 5MW range. Turbines in this range are constantly being developed and it is also being investigated whether turbines as large as 10-20MW are feasible. The design of very large machines introduces new problems in the practical design, and optimization tools are necessary. These must combine the dynamic effects of both aerodynamics and structure in an integrated optimization environment. This is referred to as aeroelastic optimization. The Risoe DTU optimization software HAWTOPT has been used in this project. The quasi-steady aerodynamic module have been improved with a corrected blade element momentum method. A structure module has also been developed which lays out the blade structural properties. This is done in a simplified way allowing fast conceptual design studies and with focus on the overall properties relevant for the aeroelastic properties. Aeroelastic simulations in the time domain were carried out using the aeroelastic code HAWC2. With these modules coupled to HAWTOPT, optimizations have been made. In parallel with the developments of the mentioned numerical modules, focus has been on analysis and a fundamental understanding of the key parameters in wind turbine design. This has resulted in insight and an effective design methodology is presented. Using the optimization environment a 5MW wind turbine rotor has been optimized for reduced fatigue loads due to apwise bending moments. Among other things this has indicated that airfoils for wind turbine blades should have a high lift coefficient. The design methodology proved to be stable and a help in the otherwise challenging task of numerical aeroelastic optimization. (Author)

Combined Shape and Topology Optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Asger Nyman

Shape and topology optimization seeks to compute the optimal shape and topology of a structure such that one or more properties, for example stiffness, balance or volume, are improved. The goal of the thesis is to develop a method for shape and topology optimization which uses the Deformable...... Simplicial Complex (DSC) method. Consequently, we present a novel method which combines current shape and topology optimization methods. This method represents the surface of the structure explicitly and discretizes the structure into non-overlapping elements, i.e. a simplicial complex. An explicit surface...... representation usually limits the optimization to minor shape changes. However, the DSC method uses a single explicit representation and still allows for large shape and topology changes. It does so by constantly applying a set of mesh operations during deformations of the structure. Using an explicit instead...

Multi-Objective Aerodynamic and Structural Optimization of Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine Blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jie Zhu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A procedure based on MATLAB combined with ANSYS is presented and utilized for the multi-objective aerodynamic and structural optimization of horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT blades. In order to minimize the cost of energy (COE and improve the overall performance of the blades, materials of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP combined with glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP are applied. The maximum annual energy production (AEP, the minimum blade mass and the minimum blade cost are taken as three objectives. Main aerodynamic and structural characteristics of the blades are employed as design variables. Various design requirements including strain, deflection, vibration and buckling limits are taken into account as constraints. To evaluate the aerodynamic performances and the structural behaviors, the blade element momentum (BEM theory and the finite element method (FEM are applied in the procedure. Moreover, the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA II, which constitutes the core of the procedure, is adapted for the multi-objective optimization of the blades. To prove the efficiency and reliability of the procedure, a commercial 1.5 MW HAWT blade is used as a case study, and a set of trade-off solutions is obtained. Compared with the original scheme, the optimization results show great improvements for the overall performance of the blade.

Prediction of Aerodynamic Coefficient using Genetic Algorithm Optimized Neural Network for Sparse Data

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkumar, T.; Bardina, Jorge; Clancy, Daniel (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Wind tunnels use scale models to characterize aerodynamic coefficients, Wind tunnel testing can be slow and costly due to high personnel overhead and intensive power utilization. Although manual curve fitting can be done, it is highly efficient to use a neural network to define the complex relationship between variables. Numerical simulation of complex vehicles on the wide range of conditions required for flight simulation requires static and dynamic data. Static data at low Mach numbers and angles of attack may be obtained with simpler Euler codes. Static data of stalled vehicles where zones of flow separation are usually present at higher angles of attack require Navier-Stokes simulations which are costly due to the large processing time required to attain convergence. Preliminary dynamic data may be obtained with simpler methods based on correlations and vortex methods; however, accurate prediction of the dynamic coefficients requires complex and costly numerical simulations. A reliable and fast method of predicting complex aerodynamic coefficients for flight simulation I'S presented using a neural network. The training data for the neural network are derived from numerical simulations and wind-tunnel experiments. The aerodynamic coefficients are modeled as functions of the flow characteristics and the control surfaces of the vehicle. The basic coefficients of lift, drag and pitching moment are expressed as functions of angles of attack and Mach number. The modeled and training aerodynamic coefficients show good agreement. This method shows excellent potential for rapid development of aerodynamic models for flight simulation. Genetic Algorithms (GA) are used to optimize a previously built Artificial Neural Network (ANN) that reliably predicts aerodynamic coefficients. Results indicate that the GA provided an efficient method of optimizing the ANN model to predict aerodynamic coefficients. The reliability of the ANN using the GA includes prediction of aerodynamic

Mitigation of Adverse Effects Caused by Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interactions Through Optimal Wall Shaping

Science.gov (United States)

Liou, May-Fun; Lee, Byung Joon

2013-01-01

It is known that the adverse effects of shock wave boundary layer interactions in high speed inlets include reduced total pressure recovery and highly distorted flow at the aerodynamic interface plane (AIP). This paper presents a design method for flow control which creates perturbations in geometry. These perturbations are tailored to change the flow structures in order to minimize shock wave boundary layer interactions (SWBLI) inside supersonic inlets. Optimizing the shape of two dimensional micro-size bumps is shown to be a very effective flow control method for two-dimensional SWBLI. In investigating the three dimensional SWBLI, a square duct is employed as a baseline. To investigate the mechanism whereby the geometric elements of the baseline, i.e. the bottom wall, the sidewall and the corner, exert influence on the flow's aerodynamic characteristics, each element is studied and optimized separately. It is found that arrays of micro-size bumps on the bottom wall of the duct have little effect in improving total pressure recovery though they are useful in suppressing the incipient separation in three-dimensional problems. Shaping sidewall geometry is effective in re-distributing flow on the side wall and results in a less distorted flow at the exit. Subsequently, a near 50% reduction in distortion is achieved. A simple change in corner geometry resulted in a 2.4% improvement in total pressure recovery.

Multi-objective Optimization Strategies Using Adjoint Method and Game Theory in Aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Zhili

2006-08-01

There are currently three different game strategies originated in economics: (1) Cooperative games (Pareto front), (2) Competitive games (Nash game) and (3) Hierarchical games (Stackelberg game). Each game achieves different equilibria with different performance, and their players play different roles in the games. Here, we introduced game concept into aerodynamic design, and combined it with adjoint method to solve multi-criteria aerodynamic optimization problems. The performance distinction of the equilibria of these three game strategies was investigated by numerical experiments. We computed Pareto front, Nash and Stackelberg equilibria of the same optimization problem with two conflicting and hierarchical targets under different parameterizations by using the deterministic optimization method. The numerical results show clearly that all the equilibria solutions are inferior to the Pareto front. Non-dominated Pareto front solutions are obtained, however the CPU cost to capture a set of solutions makes the Pareto front an expensive tool to the designer.

Multi-objective optimization strategies using adjoint method and game theory in aerodynamics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhili Tang

2006-01-01

There are currently three different game strategies originated in economics:(1) Cooperative games (Pareto front),(2)Competitive games (Nash game) and (3)Hierarchical games (Stackelberg game).Each game achieves different equilibria with different performance,and their players play different roles in the games.Here,we introduced game concept into aerodynamic design, and combined it with adjoint method to solve multicriteria aerodynamic optimization problems.The performance distinction of the equilibria of these three game strategies was investigated by numerical experiments.We computed Pareto front, Nash and Stackelberg equilibria of the same optimization problem with two conflicting and hierarchical targets under different parameterizations by using the deterministic optimization method.The numerical results show clearly that all the equilibria solutions are inferior to the Pareto front.Non-dominated Pareto front solutions are obtained,however the CPU cost to capture a set of solutions makes the Pareto front an expensive tool to the designer.

Finding the optimal shape of the leading-and-trailing car of a high-speed train using design-by-morphing

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Sahuck; Jiang, Chung-Hsiang; Jiang, Chiyu; Marcus, Philip S.

2017-10-01

We present a new, general design method, called design-by-morphing for an object whose performance is determined by its shape due to hydrodynamic, aerodynamic, structural, or thermal requirements. To illustrate the method, we design a new leading-and-trailing car of a train by morphing existing, baseline leading-and-trailing cars to minimize the drag. In design-by-morphing, the morphing is done by representing the shapes with polygonal meshes and spectrally with a truncated series of spherical harmonics. The optimal design is found by computing the optimal weights of each of the baseline shapes so that the morphed shape has minimum drag. As a result of optimization, we found that with only two baseline trains that mimic current high-speed trains with low drag that the drag of the optimal train is reduced by 8.04% with respect to the baseline train with the smaller drag. When we repeat the optimization by adding a third baseline train that under-performs compared to the other baseline train, the drag of the new optimal train is reduced by 13.46% . This finding shows that bad examples of design are as useful as good examples in determining an optimal design. We show that design-by-morphing can be extended to many engineering problems in which the performance of an object depends on its shape.

Rotor Cascade Shape Optimization with Unsteady Passing Wakes Using Implicit Dual-Time Stepping and a Genetic Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eun Seok Lee

2003-01-01

Full Text Available An axial turbine rotor cascade-shape optimization with unsteady passing wakes was performed to obtain an improved aerodynamic performance using an unsteady flow, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations solver that was based on explicit, finite difference; Runge-Kutta multistage time marching; and the diagonalized alternating direction implicit scheme. The code utilized Baldwin-Lomax algebraic and k-ε turbulence modeling. The full approximation storage multigrid method and preconditioning were implemented as iterative convergence-acceleration techniques. An implicit dual-time stepping method was incorporated in order to simulate the unsteady flow fields. The objective function was defined as minimization of total pressure loss and maximization of lift, while the mass flow rate was fixed during the optimization. The design variables were several geometric parameters characterizing airfoil leading edge, camber, stagger angle, and inter-row spacing. The genetic algorithm was used as an optimizer, and the penalty method was introduced for combining the constraints with the objective function. Each individual's objective function was computed simultaneously by using a 32-processor distributedmemory computer. The optimization results indicated that only minor improvements are possible in unsteady rotor/stator aerodynamics by varying these geometric parameters.

Countermeasures for Reducing Unsteady Aerodynamic Force Acting on High-Speed Train in Tunnel by Use of Modifications of Train Shapes

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Masahiro; Nakade, Koji; Ido, Atsushi

As the maximum speed of high-speed trains increases, flow-induced vibration of trains in tunnels has become a subject of discussion in Japan. In this paper, we report the result of a study on use of modifications of train shapes as a countermeasure for reducing an unsteady aerodynamic force by on-track tests and a wind tunnel test. First, we conduct a statistical analysis of on-track test data to identify exterior parts of a train which cause the unsteady aerodynamic force. Next, we carry out a wind tunnel test to measure the unsteady aerodynamic force acting on a train in a tunnel and examined train shapes with a particular emphasis on the exterior parts identified by the statistical analysis. The wind tunnel test shows that fins under the car body are effective in reducing the unsteady aerodynamic force. Finally, we test the fins by an on-track test and confirmed its effectiveness.

Isogeometric Shape Optimization of Vibrating Membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, Dang Manh; Evgrafov, Anton; Gersborg, Allan Roulund

2011-01-01

We consider a model problem of isogeometric shape optimization of vibrating membranes whose shapes are allowed to vary freely. The main obstacle we face is the need for robust and inexpensive extension of a B-spline parametrization from the boundary of a domain onto its interior, a task which has...... perform a number of numerical experiments with our isogeometric shape optimization algorithm and present smooth, optimized membrane shapes. Our conclusion is that isogeometric analysis fits well with shape optimization....

Application of surrogate-based global optimization to aerodynamic design

CERN Document Server

Pérez, Esther

2016-01-01

Aerodynamic design, like many other engineering applications, is increasingly relying on computational power. The growing need for multi-disciplinarity and high fidelity in design optimization for industrial applications requires a huge number of repeated simulations in order to find an optimal design candidate. The main drawback is that each simulation can be computationally expensive – this becomes an even bigger issue when used within parametric studies, automated search or optimization loops, which typically may require thousands of analysis evaluations. The core issue of a design-optimization problem is the search process involved. However, when facing complex problems, the high-dimensionality of the design space and the high-multi-modality of the target functions cannot be tackled with standard techniques. In recent years, global optimization using meta-models has been widely applied to design exploration in order to rapidly investigate the design space and find sub-optimal solutions. Indeed, surrogat...

Performance-based shape optimization of continuum structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Qingquan

2010-01-01

This paper presents a performance-based optimization (PBO) method for optimal shape design of continuum structures with stiffness constraints. Performance-based design concepts are incorporated in the shape optimization theory to achieve optimal designs. In the PBO method, the traditional shape optimization problem of minimizing the weight of a continuum structure with displacement or mean compliance constraints is transformed to the problem of maximizing the performance of the structure. The optimal shape of a continuum structure is obtained by gradually eliminating inefficient finite elements from the structure until its performance is maximized. Performance indices are employed to monitor the performance of optimized shapes in an optimization process. Performance-based optimality criteria are incorporated in the PBO method to identify the optimum from the optimization process. The PBO method is used to produce optimal shapes of plane stress continuum structures and plates in bending. Benchmark numerical results are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the PBO method for generating the maximum stiffness shape design of continuum structures. It is shown that the PBO method developed overcomes the limitations of traditional shape optimization methods in optimal design of continuum structures. Performance-based optimality criteria presented can be incorporated in any shape and topology optimization methods to obtain optimal designs of continuum structures.

Coupled adjoint aerostructural wing optimization using quasi-three-dimensional aerodynamic analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elham, A.; van Tooren, M.J.L.

2016-01-01

This paper presents a method for wing aerostructural analysis and optimization, which needs much lower computational costs, while computes the wing drag and structural deformation with a level of accuracy comparable to the higher fidelity CFD and FEM tools. A quasi-threedimensional aerodynamic

Aerodynamic optimization of supersonic compressor cascade using differential evolution on GPU

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aissa, Mohamed Hasanine; Verstraete, Tom [Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI) 1640 Sint-Genesius-Rode (Belgium); Vuik, Cornelis [Delft University of Technology 2628 CD Delft (Netherlands)

2016-06-08

Differential Evolution (DE) is a powerful stochastic optimization method. Compared to gradient-based algorithms, DE is able to avoid local minima but requires at the same time more function evaluations. In turbomachinery applications, function evaluations are performed with time-consuming CFD simulation, which results in a long, non affordable, design cycle. Modern High Performance Computing systems, especially Graphic Processing Units (GPUs), are able to alleviate this inconvenience by accelerating the design evaluation itself. In this work we present a validated CFD Solver running on GPUs, able to accelerate the design evaluation and thus the entire design process. An achieved speedup of 20x to 30x enabled the DE algorithm to run on a high-end computer instead of a costly large cluster. The GPU-enhanced DE was used to optimize the aerodynamics of a supersonic compressor cascade, achieving an aerodynamic loss minimization of 20%.

Aerodynamic Drag Reduction for a Generic Truck Using Geometrically Optimized Rear Cabin Bumps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdellah Ait Moussa

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The continuous surge in gas prices has raised major concerns about vehicle fuel efficiency, and drag reduction devices offer a promising strategy. In this paper, we investigate the mechanisms by which geometrically optimized bumps, placed on the rear end of the cabin roof of a generic truck, reduce aerodynamic drag. The incorporation of these devices requires proper choices of the size, location, and overall geometry. In the following analysis we identify these factors using a novel methodology. The numerical technique combines automatic modeling of the add-ons, computational fluid dynamics and optimization using orthogonal arrays, and probabilistic restarts. Numerical results showed reduction in aerodynamic drag between 6% and 10%.

Airfoil Shape Optimization in Transonic Flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, Z.

2004-01-01

A computationally efficient and adaptable design tool is constructed by coupling a flow analysis code based on Euler equations, with the well established numerical optimization algorithms. Optimization technique involving two analysis methods of Simplex and Rosenbrock have been used. The optimization study involves the minimization of wave drag for two different airfoils with geometric constraints on the airfoil maximum thickness or the cross sectional area along with aerodynamic constraint on lift coefficient. The method is applied to these airfoils transonic flow design points, and the results are compared with the original values. This study shows that the conventional low speed airfoils can be optimized to become supercritical for transonic flight speeds, while existing supercritical airfoils can still be improved further at particular design condition. (author)

Aerodynamic optimization and mechanism design of flexible variable camber trailing-edge flap

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weishuang LU

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Trailing-edge flap is traditionally used to improve the takeoff and landing aerodynamic performance of aircraft. In order to improve flight efficiency during takeoff, cruise and landing states, the flexible variable camber trailing-edge flap is introduced, capable of changing its shape smoothly from 50% flap chord to the rear of the flap. Using a numerical simulation method for the case of the GA (W-2 airfoil, the multi-objective optimization of the overlap, gap, deflection angle, and bending angle of the flap under takeoff and landing configurations is studied. The optimization results show that under takeoff configuration, the variable camber trailing-edge flap can increase lift coefficient by about 8% and lift-to-drag ratio by about 7% compared with the traditional flap at a takeoff angle of 8°. Under landing configuration, the flap can improve the lift coefficient at a stall angle of attack about 1.3%. Under cruise state, the flap helps to improve the lift-to-drag ratio over a wide range of lift coefficients, and the maximum increment is about 30%. Finally, a corrugated structure–eccentric beam combination bending mechanism is introduced in this paper to bend the flap by rotating the eccentric beam.

EFFECT OF BODY SHAPE ON THE AERODYNAMICS OF PROJECTILES AT SUPERSONIC SPEEDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ABDULKAREEM SH. MAHDI

2008-12-01

Full Text Available An investigation has been made to predict the effects of forebody and afterbody shapes on the aerodynamic characteristics of several projectile bodies at supersonic speeds using analytical methods combined with semi-empirical design curves. The considered projectile bodies had a length-to-diameter ratio of 6.67 and included three variations of forebody shape and three variations of afterbody shape. The results, which are verified by comparison with available experimental data, indicated that the lowest drag was achieved with a cone-cylinder at the considered Mach number range. It is also shown that the drag can be reduced by boattailing the afterbody. The centre-of-pressure assumed a slightly rearward location for the ogive-cylinder configuration when compared to the configuration with boattailed afterbody where it was the most forward. With the exception of the boattailed afterbody, all the bodies indicated inherent static stability above Mach number 2 for a centre-of-gravity location at about 40% from the body nose.

The Multipoint Global Shape Optimization of Flying Configuration with Movable Leading Edges Flaps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana NASTASE

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The aerodynamical global optimized (GO shape of flying configuration (FC, at two cruising Mach numbers, can be realized by morphing. Movable leading edge flaps are used for this purpose. The equations of the surfaces of the wing, of the fuselage and of the flaps in stretched position are approximated in form of superpositions of homogeneous polynomes in two variables with free coefficients. These coefficients together with the similarity parameters of the planform of the FC are the free parameters of the global optimization. Two enlarged variational problems with free boundaries occur. The first one consists in the determination of the GO shape of the wing-fuselageFC, with the flaps in retracted position, which must be of minimum drag, at higher cruising Mach number. The second enlarged variational problem consists in the determination of the GO shape of the flaps in stretched position in such a manner that the entire FC shall be of minimum drag at the second lower Mach number. The iterative optimum-optimorum (OO theory of the author is used for the solving of these both enlarged variational problems. The inviscid GO shape of the FC is used only in the first step of iteration and the own developed hybrid solutions for the compressible Navier-Stokes partial-differential equations (PDEs are used for the determination of the friction drag coefficient and up the second step of iteration of OO theory.

ZEUS-DO: A Design Oriented CFD-Based Unsteady Aerodynamic Capability for Flight Vehicle Multidisciplinary Configuration Shape Optimization, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In practically all air-vehicle MDO studies to date involving configuration shape optimization, dynamic Aeroservoelastic constraints had to be left out. Flutter, gust...

Membrane wing aerodynamics for micro air vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Lian, Yongsheng; Shyy, Wei; Viieru, Dragos; Zhang, Baoning

2003-10-01

The aerodynamic performance of a wing deteriorates considerably as the Reynolds number decreases from 10 6 to 10 4. In particular, flow separation can result in substantial change in effective airfoil shape and cause reduced aerodynamic performance. Lately, there has been growing interest in developing suitable techniques for sustained and robust flight of micro air vehicles (MAVs) with a wingspan of 15 cm or smaller, flight speed around 10 m/ s, and a corresponding Reynolds number of 10 4-10 5. This paper reviews the aerodynamics of membrane and corresponding rigid wings under the MAV flight conditions. The membrane wing is observed to yield desirable characteristics in delaying stall as well as adapting to the unsteady flight environment, which is intrinsic to the designated flight speed. Flow structures associated with the low Reynolds number and low aspect ratio wing, such as pressure distribution, separation bubble and tip vortex are reviewed. Structural dynamics in response to the surrounding flow field is presented to highlight the multiple time-scale phenomena. Based on the computational capabilities for treating moving boundary problems, wing shape optimization can be conducted in automated manners. To enhance the lift, the effect of endplates is evaluated. The proper orthogonal decomposition method is also discussed as an economic tool to describe the flow structure around a wing and to facilitate flow and vehicle control.

Application of CAD/CAE class systems to aerodynamic analysis of electric race cars

Science.gov (United States)

Grabowski, L.; Baier, A.; Buchacz, A.; Majzner, M.; Sobek, M.

2015-11-01

Aerodynamics is one of the most important factors which influence on every aspect of a design of a car and car driving parameters. The biggest influence aerodynamics has on design of a shape of a race car body, especially when the main objective of the race is the longest distance driven in period of time, which can not be achieved without low energy consumption and low drag of a car. Designing shape of the vehicle body that must generate the lowest possible drag force, without compromising the other parameters of the drive. In the article entitled „Application of CAD/CAE class systems to aerodynamic analysis of electric race cars” are being presented problems solved by computer analysis of cars aerodynamics and free form modelling. Analysis have been subjected to existing race car of a Silesian Greenpower Race Team. On a basis of results of analysis of existence of Kammback aerodynamic effect innovative car body were modeled. Afterwards aerodynamic analysis were performed to verify existence of aerodynamic effect for innovative shape and to recognize aerodynamics parameters of the shape. Analysis results in the values of coefficients and aerodynamic drag forces. The resulting drag forces Fx, drag coefficients Cx(Cd) and aerodynamic factors Cx*A allowed to compare all of the shapes to each other. Pressure distribution, air velocities and streams courses were useful in determining aerodynamic features of analyzed shape. For aerodynamic tests was used Ansys Fluent CFD software. In a paper the ways of surface modeling with usage of Realize Shape module and classic surface modeling were presented. For shapes modeling Siemens NX 9.0 software was used. Obtained results were used to estimation of existing shapes and to make appropriate conclusions.

Application of Reduced Order Transonic Aerodynamic Influence Coefficient Matrix for Design Optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Pak, Chan-gi; Li, Wesley W.

2009-01-01

Supporting the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate guidelines, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] Dryden Flight Research Center is developing a multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization [MDAO] tool. This tool will leverage existing tools and practices, and allow the easy integration and adoption of new state-of-the-art software. Today s modern aircraft designs in transonic speed are a challenging task due to the computation time required for the unsteady aeroelastic analysis using a Computational Fluid Dynamics [CFD] code. Design approaches in this speed regime are mainly based on the manual trial and error. Because of the time required for unsteady CFD computations in time-domain, this will considerably slow down the whole design process. These analyses are usually performed repeatedly to optimize the final design. As a result, there is considerable motivation to be able to perform aeroelastic calculations more quickly and inexpensively. This paper will describe the development of unsteady transonic aeroelastic design methodology for design optimization using reduced modeling method and unsteady aerodynamic approximation. The method requires the unsteady transonic aerodynamics be represented in the frequency or Laplace domain. Dynamically linear assumption is used for creating Aerodynamic Influence Coefficient [AIC] matrices in transonic speed regime. Unsteady CFD computations are needed for the important columns of an AIC matrix which corresponded to the primary modes for the flutter. Order reduction techniques, such as Guyan reduction and improved reduction system, are used to reduce the size of problem transonic flutter can be found by the classic methods, such as Rational function approximation, p-k, p, root-locus etc. Such a methodology could be incorporated into MDAO tool for design optimization at a reasonable computational cost. The proposed technique is verified using the Aerostructures Test Wing 2 actually designed

Aerodynamic Optimization of a Wind Turbine Blade Designed for Egypt's Saharan Environment Using a Genetic Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khaled Yassin

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This work aims to optimize the aerodynamic parameters (airfoil chord lengths and twist angles smoothed using Bezier curves of the NREL 5MW wind turbine and a wind turbine designed for site-specific wind conditions to increase the wind turbine's annual energy production (AEP under this site conditions. This optimization process is carried out using a Genetic Algorithm (GA developed in MATLAB and coupled with NREL's FAST Modularization Framework. The results shows that after optimizing the NREL 5MW wind turbine design, the AEP was improved by 5.9% of the baseline design AEP while a site-specific designed wind turbine using Schmitz equations shows 1.2% improvement in AEP. These results shows that optimization of wind turbine blade aerodynamic parameters for site-specific wind conditions leads to improvement in AEP and hence decreasing cost of energy generated by wind turbines.

Aerodynamic-structural model of offwind yacht sails

Science.gov (United States)

Mairs, Christopher M.

An aerodynamic-structural model of offwind yacht sails was created that is useful in predicting sail forces. Two sails were examined experimentally and computationally at several wind angles to explore a variety of flow regimes. The accuracy of the numerical solutions was measured by comparing to experimental results. The two sails examined were a Code 0 and a reaching asymmetric spinnaker. During experiment, balance, wake, and sail shape data were recorded for both sails in various configurations. Two computational steps were used to evaluate the computational model. First, an aerodynamic flow model that includes viscosity effects was used to examine the experimental flying shapes that were recorded. Second, the aerodynamic model was combined with a nonlinear, structural, finite element analysis (FEA) model. The aerodynamic and structural models were used iteratively to predict final flying shapes of offwind sails, starting with the design shapes. The Code 0 has relatively low camber and is used at small angles of attack. It was examined experimentally and computationally at a single angle of attack in two trim configurations, a baseline and overtrimmed setting. Experimentally, the Code 0 was stable and maintained large flow attachment regions. The digitized flying shapes from experiment were examined in the aerodynamic model. Force area predictions matched experimental results well. When the aerodynamic-structural tool was employed, the predictive capability was slightly worse. The reaching asymmetric spinnaker has higher camber and operates at higher angles of attack than the Code 0. Experimentally and computationally, it was examined at two angles of attack. Like the Code 0, at each wind angle, baseline and overtrimmed settings were examined. Experimentally, sail oscillations and large flow detachment regions were encountered. The computational analysis began by examining the experimental flying shapes in the aerodynamic model. In the baseline setting, the

A computational procedure to improve airfoil performance considering shape and flow interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darbandi, M.; Taghvaey, M.J.; Schneider, G.E.

2004-01-01

Despite remarkable progress in shape design issue, there is still room to work on this topic considering different flow field conditions and specific aerodynamic applications. Today, the optimization techniques are known as a major tool to reach the best possible aerodynamic shape for some specific conditions. In general direct optimization techniques, the optimization process is started from choosing a suitable primitive shape and the shape is improved by suitable considerations of the design objectives and constraints. In a similar attempt, we develop a new optimization strategy to improve the airfoil shape for specified applications. The strategy involves several stages. It includes to determine the flow conditions and design parameters, to establish the objective function, to select a suitable primitive shape, to generate a mechanism for inserting gradual shape changes, to generate grids around each defined shape, to solve the flow field for each separate shape, to collect the solution data, to change the discrete data to the continuous distribution functions, to construct the objective function, and to minimize the objective function using the steepest descent approach. No constraint function is incorporated into the constructed objective function. The cruise flight of an aircraft at an specified altitude is supposed to be the flow field conditions around the proposed airfoil. Nevertheless, the flow field is assumed to be viscous and compressible as well as turbulent. The procedure is tested starting from two generic airfoil shapes with and without camber. The developed algorithm works well for both cases; however, it may not converge to identical shapes if the primitive shapes are not identical. (author)

A computational procedure to improve airfoil performance considering shape and flow interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darbandi, M.; Taghvaey, M.J. [Sharif Univ. of Technology, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)]. E-mail: darbandi@sharif.edu; Schneider, G.E. [Univ. of Waterloo, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Waterloo, Ontario (Canada)

2004-07-01

Despite remarkable progress in shape design issue, there is still room to work on this topic considering different flow field conditions and specific aerodynamic applications. Today, the optimization techniques are known as a major tool to reach the best possible aerodynamic shape for some specific conditions. In general direct optimization techniques, the optimization process is started from choosing a suitable primitive shape and the shape is improved by suitable considerations of the design objectives and constraints. In a similar attempt, we develop a new optimization strategy to improve the airfoil shape for specified applications. The strategy involves several stages. It includes to determine the flow conditions and design parameters, to establish the objective function, to select a suitable primitive shape, to generate a mechanism for inserting gradual shape changes, to generate grids around each defined shape, to solve the flow field for each separate shape, to collect the solution data, to change the discrete data to the continuous distribution functions, to construct the objective function, and to minimize the objective function using the steepest descent approach. No constraint function is incorporated into the constructed objective function. The cruise flight of an aircraft at an specified altitude is supposed to be the flow field conditions around the proposed airfoil. Nevertheless, the flow field is assumed to be viscous and compressible as well as turbulent. The procedure is tested starting from two generic airfoil shapes with and without camber. The developed algorithm works well for both cases; however, it may not converge to identical shapes if the primitive shapes are not identical. (author)

Application of a particle swarm optimization for shape optimization in hydraulic machinery

Science.gov (United States)

Moravec, Prokop; Rudolf, Pavel

A study of shape optimization has become increasingly popular in academia and industry. A typical problem is to find an optimal shape, which minimizes (or maximizes) a certain cost function and satisfies given constraints. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) has received a lot of attention in past years and is inspired by social behaviour of some animals such as flocking behaviour of birds. This paper focuses on a possibility of a diffuser shape optimization using particle swarm optimization (PSO), which is coupled with CFD simulation. Influence of main parameters of PSO-algorithm and later diffuser shapes obtained with this method are discussed and advantages/disadvantages summarized.

Application of a particle swarm optimization for shape optimization in hydraulic machinery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moravec Prokop

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A study of shape optimization has become increasingly popular in academia and industry. A typical problem is to find an optimal shape, which minimizes (or maximizes a certain cost function and satisfies given constraints. Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO has received a lot of attention in past years and is inspired by social behaviour of some animals such as flocking behaviour of birds. This paper focuses on a possibility of a diffuser shape optimization using particle swarm optimization (PSO, which is coupled with CFD simulation. Influence of main parameters of PSO-algorithm and later diffuser shapes obtained with this method are discussed and advantages/disadvantages summarized.

A comparison of two closely-related approaches to aerodynamic design optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Shubin, G. R.; Frank, P. D.

1991-01-01

Two related methods for aerodynamic design optimization are compared. The methods, called the implicit gradient approach and the variational (or optimal control) approach, both attempt to obtain gradients necessary for numerical optimization at a cost significantly less than that of the usual black-box approach that employs finite difference gradients. While the two methods are seemingly quite different, they are shown to differ (essentially) in that the order of discretizing the continuous problem, and of applying calculus, is interchanged. Under certain circumstances, the two methods turn out to be identical. We explore the relationship between these methods by applying them to a model problem for duct flow that has many features in common with transonic flow over an airfoil. We find that the gradients computed by the variational method can sometimes be sufficiently inaccurate to cause the optimization to fail.

Development of a fast shape memory alloy based actuator for morphing airfoils

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lara-Quintanilla, A.

2016-01-01

The design of aerodynamic airfoils are optimized for certain conditions. For instance, the shape of the wings of fixed-wing aircrafts are designed and optimized for a certain flight condition (in terms of altitude, speed, aircraft weight, etc.). However, these flight conditions vary significantly

Optimization of the Upper Surface of Hypersonic Vehicle Based on CFD Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, T. Y.; Cui, K.; Hu, S. C.; Wang, X. P.; Yang, G. W.

2011-09-01

For the hypersonic vehicle, the aerodynamic performance becomes more intensive. Therefore, it is a significant event to optimize the shape of the hypersonic vehicle to achieve the project demands. It is a key technology to promote the performance of the hypersonic vehicle with the method of shape optimization. Based on the existing vehicle, the optimization to the upper surface of the Simplified hypersonic vehicle was done to obtain a shape which suits the project demand. At the cruising condition, the upper surface was parameterized with the B-Spline curve method. The incremental parametric method and the reconstruction technology of the local mesh were applied here. The whole flow field was been calculated and the aerodynamic performance of the craft were obtained by the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) technology. Then the vehicle shape was optimized to achieve the maximum lift-drag ratio at attack angle 3°, 4° and 5°. The results will provide the reference for the practical design.

Topological Derivatives in Shape Optimization

CERN Document Server

Novotny, Antonio André

2013-01-01

The topological derivative is defined as the first term (correction) of the asymptotic expansion of a given shape functional with respect to a small parameter that measures the size of singular domain perturbations, such as holes, inclusions, defects, source-terms and cracks. Over the last decade, topological asymptotic analysis has become a broad, rich and fascinating research area from both theoretical and numerical standpoints. It has applications in many different fields such as shape and topology optimization, inverse problems, imaging processing and mechanical modeling including synthesis and/or optimal design of microstructures, sensitivity analysis in fracture mechanics and damage evolution modeling. Since there is no monograph on the subject at present, the authors provide here the first account of the theory which combines classical sensitivity analysis in shape optimization with asymptotic analysis by means of compound asymptotic expansions for elliptic boundary value problems. This book is intende...

Isogeometric Analysis and Shape Optimization in Fluid Mechanics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Peter Nørtoft

This thesis brings together the fields of fluid mechanics, as the study of fluids and flows, isogeometric analysis, as a numerical method to solve engineering problems using computers, and shape optimization, as the art of finding "best" shapes of objects based on some notion of goodness. The flow...... approximations, and for shape optimization purposes also due to its tight connection between the analysis and geometry models. The thesis is initiated by short introductions to fluid mechanics, and to the building blocks of isogeometric analysis. As the first contribution of the thesis, a detailed description...... isogeometric analysis may serve as a natural framework for shape optimization within fluid mechanics. We construct an efficient regularization measure for avoiding inappropriate parametrizations during optimization, and various numerical examples of shape optimization for fluids are considered, serving...

Adjoint Optimization of a Wing Using the CSRT Method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Straathof, M.H.; Van Tooren, M.J.L.

2011-01-01

This paper will demonstrate the potential of the Class-Shape-Refinement-Transformation (CSRT) method for aerodynamically optimizing three-dimensional surfaces. The CSRT method was coupled to an in-house Euler solver and this combination was used in an optimization framework to optimize the ONERA M6

Aerodynamic reconfiguration and multicriterial optimization of centrifugal compressors – a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valeriu DRAGAN

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper continues the recent research of the author, with application to 3D computational fluid dynamics multicriterial optimization of turbomachinery parts. Computational Fluid Dynamics has been an ubicuous tool for compressor design for decades, helping the designers to test the aerodynamic parameters of their machines with great accuracy. Due to advances of multigrid methods and the improved robustness of structured solvers, CFD can nowadays be part of an optimization loop with artificial neural networks or evolutive algorithms. This paper presents a case study of an air centrifugal compressor rotor optimized using Numeca's Design 3D CFD suite. The turbulence model used for the database generation and the optimization stage is Spalart Allmaras. Results indicate a fairly quick convergence time per individual as well as a good convergence of the artificial neural network optimizer.

Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of airfoils with morphing structures

OpenAIRE

Ai, Qing; Azarpeyvand, Mahdi; Lachenal, Xavier; Weaver, Paul M.

2016-01-01

Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of airfoils fitted with morphing trailing edges are investigated using a coupled structure/fluid/noise model. The control of the flow over the surface of an airfoil using shape optimization techniques can significantly improve the load distribution along the chord and span lengths whilst minimising noise generation. In this study, a NACA 63-418 airfoil is fitted with a morphing flap and various morphing profiles are considered with two features that di...

AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, 8th, Portland, OR, Aug. 20-22, 1990, Technical Papers. Parts 1 ampersand 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

The present conference discusses topics in CFD methods and their validation, vortices and vortical flows, STOL/VSTOL aerodynamics, boundary layer transition and separation, wing airfoil aerodynamics, laminar flow, supersonic and hypersonic aerodynamics, CFD for wing airfoil and nacelle applications, wind tunnel testing, flight testing, missile aerodynamics, unsteady flow, configuration aerodynamics, and multiple body/interference flows. Attention is given to the numerical simulation of vortical flows over close-coupled canard-wing configuration, propulsive lift augmentation by side fences, road-vehicle aerodynamics, a shock-capturing method for multidimensional flow, transition-detection studies in a cryogenic environment, a three-dimensional Euler analysis of ducted propfan flowfields, multiple vortex and shock interaction at subsonic and supersonic speeds, and a Navier-Stokes simulation of waverider flowfields. Also discussed are the induced drag of crescent-shaped wings, the preliminary design aerodynamics of missile inlets, finite wing lift prediction at high angles-of-attack, optimal supersonic/hypersonic bodies, and adaptive grid embedding for the two-dimensional Euler equations

Optimization design of blade shapes for wind turbines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Jin; Wang, Xudong; Shen, Wen Zhong

2010-01-01

For the optimization design of wind turbines, the new normal and tangential induced factors of wind turbines are given considering the tip loss of the normal and tangential forces based on the blade element momentum theory and traditional aerodynamic model. The cost model of the wind turbines...... and the optimization design model are developed. In the optimization model, the objective is the minimum cost of energy and the design variables are the chord length, twist angle and the relative thickness. Finally, the optimization is carried out for a 2 MW blade by using this optimization design model....... The performance of blades is validated through the comparison and analysis of the results. The reduced cost shows that the optimization model is good enough for the design of wind turbines. The results give a proof for the design and research on the blades of large scale wind turbines and also establish...

Aerothermodynamic shape optimization of hypersonic blunt bodies

Science.gov (United States)

Eyi, Sinan; Yumuşak, Mine

2015-07-01

The aim of this study is to develop a reliable and efficient design tool that can be used in hypersonic flows. The flow analysis is based on the axisymmetric Euler/Navier-Stokes and finite-rate chemical reaction equations. The equations are coupled simultaneously and solved implicitly using Newton's method. The Jacobian matrix is evaluated analytically. A gradient-based numerical optimization is used. The adjoint method is utilized for sensitivity calculations. The objective of the design is to generate a hypersonic blunt geometry that produces the minimum drag with low aerodynamic heating. Bezier curves are used for geometry parameterization. The performances of the design optimization method are demonstrated for different hypersonic flow conditions.

Shape optimization in biomimetics by homogenization modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoppe, Ronald H.W.; Petrova, Svetozara I.

2003-08-01

Optimal shape design of microstructured materials has recently attracted a great deal of attention in material science. The shape and the topology of the microstructure have a significant impact on the macroscopic properties. The present work is devoted to the shape optimization of new biomorphic microcellular ceramics produced from natural wood by biotemplating. We are interested in finding the best material-and-shape combination in order to achieve the optimal prespecified performance of the composite material. The computation of the effective material properties is carried out using the homogenization method. Adaptive mesh-refinement technique based on the computation of recovered stresses is applied in the microstructure to find the homogenized elasticity coefficients. Numerical results show the reliability of the implemented a posteriori error estimator. (author)

Aerodynamics of Race Cars

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, Joseph

2006-01-01

Race car performance depends on elements such as the engine, tires, suspension, road, aerodynamics, and of course the driver. In recent years, however, vehicle aerodynamics gained increased attention, mainly due to the utilization of the negative lift (downforce) principle, yielding several important performance improvements. This review briefly explains the significance of the aerodynamic downforce and how it improves race car performance. After this short introduction various methods to generate downforce such as inverted wings, diffusers, and vortex generators are discussed. Due to the complex geometry of these vehicles, the aerodynamic interaction between the various body components is significant, resulting in vortex flows and lifting surface shapes unlike traditional airplane wings. Typical design tools such as wind tunnel testing, computational fluid dynamics, and track testing, and their relevance to race car development, are discussed as well. In spite of the tremendous progress of these design tools (due to better instrumentation, communication, and computational power), the fluid dynamic phenomenon is still highly nonlinear, and predicting the effect of a particular modification is not always trouble free. Several examples covering a wide range of vehicle shapes (e.g., from stock cars to open-wheel race cars) are presented to demonstrate this nonlinear nature of the flow field.

Optimizations of Unstructured Aerodynamics Computations for Many-core Architectures

KAUST Repository

Al Farhan, Mohammed Ahmed

2018-04-13

We investigate several state-of-the-practice shared-memory optimization techniques applied to key routines of an unstructured computational aerodynamics application with irregular memory accesses. We illustrate for the Intel KNL processor, as a representative of the processors in contemporary leading supercomputers, identifying and addressing performance challenges without compromising the floating point numerics of the original code. We employ low and high-level architecture-specific code optimizations involving thread and data-level parallelism. Our approach is based upon a multi-level hierarchical distribution of work and data across both the threads and the SIMD units within every hardware core. On a 64-core KNL chip, we achieve nearly 2.9x speedup of the dominant routines relative to the baseline. These exhibit almost linear strong scalability up to 64 threads, and thereafter some improvement with hyperthreading. At substantially fewer Watts, we achieve up to 1.7x speedup relative to the performance of 72 threads of a 36-core Haswell CPU and roughly equivalent performance to 112 threads of a 56-core Skylake scalable processor. These optimizations are expected to be of value for many other unstructured mesh PDE-based scientific applications as multi and many-core architecture evolves.

Prediction of Aerodynamic Coefficients for Wind Tunnel Data using a Genetic Algorithm Optimized Neural Network

Science.gov (United States)

Rajkumar, T.; Aragon, Cecilia; Bardina, Jorge; Britten, Roy

2002-01-01

A fast, reliable way of predicting aerodynamic coefficients is produced using a neural network optimized by a genetic algorithm. Basic aerodynamic coefficients (e.g. lift, drag, pitching moment) are modelled as functions of angle of attack and Mach number. The neural network is first trained on a relatively rich set of data from wind tunnel tests of numerical simulations to learn an overall model. Most of the aerodynamic parameters can be well-fitted using polynomial functions. A new set of data, which can be relatively sparse, is then supplied to the network to produce a new model consistent with the previous model and the new data. Because the new model interpolates realistically between the sparse test data points, it is suitable for use in piloted simulations. The genetic algorithm is used to choose a neural network architecture to give best results, avoiding over-and under-fitting of the test data.

A Hybrid Metaheuristic-Based Approach for the Aerodynamic Optimization of Small Hybrid Wind Turbine Rotors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Herbert-Acero, José F.; Martínez-Lauranchet, Jaime; Probst, Oliver

2014-01-01

of the sectional blade aerodynamics. The framework considers an innovative nested-hybrid solution procedure based on two metaheuristics, the virtual gene genetic algorithm and the simulated annealing algorithm, to provide a near-optimal solution to the problem. The objective of the study is to maximize...

Aerodynamic performance of a hovering hawkmoth with flexible wings: a computational approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakata, Toshiyuki; Liu, Hao

2012-02-22

Insect wings are deformable structures that change shape passively and dynamically owing to inertial and aerodynamic forces during flight. It is still unclear how the three-dimensional and passive change of wing kinematics owing to inherent wing flexibility contributes to unsteady aerodynamics and energetics in insect flapping flight. Here, we perform a systematic fluid-structure interaction based analysis on the aerodynamic performance of a hovering hawkmoth, Manduca, with an integrated computational model of a hovering insect with rigid and flexible wings. Aerodynamic performance of flapping wings with passive deformation or prescribed deformation is evaluated in terms of aerodynamic force, power and efficiency. Our results reveal that wing flexibility can increase downwash in wake and hence aerodynamic force: first, a dynamic wing bending is observed, which delays the breakdown of leading edge vortex near the wing tip, responsible for augmenting the aerodynamic force-production; second, a combination of the dynamic change of wing bending and twist favourably modifies the wing kinematics in the distal area, which leads to the aerodynamic force enhancement immediately before stroke reversal. Moreover, an increase in hovering efficiency of the flexible wing is achieved as a result of the wing twist. An extensive study of wing stiffness effect on aerodynamic performance is further conducted through a tuning of Young's modulus and thickness, indicating that insect wing structures may be optimized not only in terms of aerodynamic performance but also dependent on many factors, such as the wing strength, the circulation capability of wing veins and the control of wing movements.

Shape matters: improved flight in tapered auto-rotating wings

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yucen; Vincent, Lionel; Kanso, Eva

2017-11-01

Many plants use gravity and wind to disperse their seeds. The shape of seed pods influence their aerodynamics. For example, Liana seeds form aerodynamic gliders and Sycamore trees release airborne ``helicopters.'' Here, we use carefully-controlled experiments and high-speed photography to examine dispersion by tumbling (auto-rotation) and we focus on the effect of geometry on flight characteristics. We consider four families of shapes: rectangular, elliptic, tapered, and sharp-tip wings, and we vary the span-to-chord ratio. We find that tapered wings exhibit extended flight time and range, that is, better performance. A quasi-steady two-dimensional model is used to highlight the mechanisms by which shape affects flight performance. These findings could have significant implications on linking seedpod designs to seed dispersion patterns as well as on optimizing wing design in active flight problems.

Fluidic-Based Virtual Aerosurface Shaping

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Glezer, Ari

2004-01-01

Recent work on a novel approach to the control of the aerodynamic performance of lifting surfaces by fluidic modification of their apparent aerodynamic shape, or virtual aerosurface shaping is reviewed...

Divertor design through shape optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dekeyser, W.; Baelmans, M.; Reiter, D.

2012-01-01

Due to the conflicting requirements, complex physical processes and large number of design variables, divertor design for next step fusion reactors is a challenging problem, often relying on large numbers of computationally expensive numerical simulations. In this paper, we attempt to partially automate the design process by solving an appropriate shape optimization problem. Design requirements are incorporated in a cost functional which measures the performance of a certain design. By means of changes in the divertor shape, which in turn lead to changes in the plasma state, this cost functional can be minimized. Using advanced adjoint methods, optimal solutions are computed very efficiently. The approach is illustrated by designing divertor targets for optimal power load spreading, using a simplified edge plasma model (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Noise aspects at aerodynamic blade optimisation projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schepers, J.G.

1997-06-01

The Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN) has often been involved in industrial projects, in which blade geometries are created automatic by means of numerical optimisation. Usually, these projects aim at the determination of the aerodynamic optimal wind turbine blade, i.e. the goal is to design a blade which is optimal with regard to energy yield. In other cases, blades have been designed which are optimal with regard to cost of generated energy. However, it is obvious that the wind turbine blade designs which result from these optimisations, are not necessarily optimal with regard to noise emission. In this paper an example is shown of an aerodynamic blade optimisation, using the ECN-program PVOPT. PVOPT calculates the optimal wind turbine blade geometry such that the maximum energy yield is obtained. Using the aerodynamic optimal blade design as a basis, the possibilities of noise reduction are investigated. 11 figs., 8 refs

Machine learning paradigms in design optimization: Applications in turbine aerodynamic design

Science.gov (United States)

Goel, Sanjay

Mechanisms of incorporating machine learning paradigms in design optimization have been investigated in the current research. The primary focus of the work is on machine learning algorithms which use computational models that are analogous to the hypothesized principles of natural or biological learning. Examples from structural and aerodynamic optimization have been used to demonstrate the potential of the proposed schemes. The first strategy examined in the current work seeks to improve the convergence of optimization problems by pruning the search space of weak variables. Such variables are identified by learning from a database of existing designs using neural networks. By using clustering techniques, different sets of weak variables are identified in different regions of the design space. Parameter sensitivity information obtained in the process of identifying weak variables provides accurate heuristics for formulating design rules. The impact of this methodology on obtaining converged designs has been investigated for a turbine design problem. Optimization results from a three-stage power turbine and an aircraft engine turbine are presented in this thesis. The second scheme is an evolutionary design optimization technique which gets progressively 'smarter' during the optimization process by learning from computed domain knowledge. This technique employs adaptive learning mechanisms (classifiers) which recognize the influence of the design variables on the problem solution and then generalize them to dynamically create or change design rules during optimization. This technique, when applied to a constrained optimization problem, shows progressive improvement in convergence of search, as successive generations of rules evolve by learning from the environment. To investigate this methodology, a truss optimization problem is solved with an objective of minimizing the truss weight subject to stress constraints in the truss members. A distinct convergent trend is

Shape and Reinforcement Optimization of Underground Tunnels

Science.gov (United States)

Ghabraie, Kazem; Xie, Yi Min; Huang, Xiaodong; Ren, Gang

Design of support system and selecting an optimum shape for the opening are two important steps in designing excavations in rock masses. Currently selecting the shape and support design are mainly based on designer's judgment and experience. Both of these problems can be viewed as material distribution problems where one needs to find the optimum distribution of a material in a domain. Topology optimization techniques have proved to be useful in solving these kinds of problems in structural design. Recently the application of topology optimization techniques in reinforcement design around underground excavations has been studied by some researchers. In this paper a three-phase material model will be introduced changing between normal rock, reinforced rock, and void. Using such a material model both problems of shape and reinforcement design can be solved together. A well-known topology optimization technique used in structural design is bi-directional evolutionary structural optimization (BESO). In this paper the BESO technique has been extended to simultaneously optimize the shape of the opening and the distribution of reinforcements. Validity and capability of the proposed approach have been investigated through some examples.

Aerodynamic modelling and optimization of axial fans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Noertoft Soerensen, Dan

1998-01-01

A numerically efficient mathematical model for the aerodynamics of low speed axial fans of the arbitrary vortex flow type has been developed. The model is based on a blade-element principle, whereby the rotor is divided into a number of annular stream tubes. For each of these stream tubes relations for velocity, pressure and radial position are derived from the conservation laws for mass, tangential momentum and energy. The equations are solved using the Newton-Raphson methods, and solutions converged to machine accuracy are found at small computing costs. The model has been validated against published measurements on various fan configurations, comprising two rotor-only fan stages, a counter-rotating fan unit and a stator-rotor stator stage. Comparisons of local and integrated properties show that the computed results agree well with the measurements. Optimizations have been performed to maximize the mean value of fan efficiency in a design interval of flow rates, thus designing a fan which operates well over a range of different flow conditions. The optimization scheme was used to investigate the dependence of maximum efficiency on 1: the number of blades, 2: the width of the design interval and 3: the hub radius. The degree of freedom in the choice of design variable and constraints, combined with the design interval concept, provides a valuable design-tool for axial fans. To further investigate the use of design optimization, a model for the vortex shedding noise from the trailing edge of the blades has been incorporated into the optimization scheme. The noise emission from the blades was minimized in a flow rate design point. Optimizations were performed to investigate the dependence of the noise on 1: the number of blades, 2: a constraint imposed on efficiency and 3: the hub radius. The investigations showed, that a significant reduction of noise could be achieved, at the expense of a small reduction in fan efficiency. (EG) 66 refs.

Aerodynamic design on high-speed trains

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, San-San; Li, Qiang; Tian, Ai-Qin; Du, Jian; Liu, Jia-Li

2016-04-01

Compared with the traditional train, the operational speed of the high-speed train has largely improved, and the dynamic environment of the train has changed from one of mechanical domination to one of aerodynamic domination. The aerodynamic problem has become the key technological challenge of high-speed trains and significantly affects the economy, environment, safety, and comfort. In this paper, the relationships among the aerodynamic design principle, aerodynamic performance indexes, and design variables are first studied, and the research methods of train aerodynamics are proposed, including numerical simulation, a reduced-scale test, and a full-scale test. Technological schemes of train aerodynamics involve the optimization design of the streamlined head and the smooth design of the body surface. Optimization design of the streamlined head includes conception design, project design, numerical simulation, and a reduced-scale test. Smooth design of the body surface is mainly used for the key parts, such as electric-current collecting system, wheel truck compartment, and windshield. The aerodynamic design method established in this paper has been successfully applied to various high-speed trains (CRH380A, CRH380AM, CRH6, CRH2G, and the Standard electric multiple unit (EMU)) that have met expected design objectives. The research results can provide an effective guideline for the aerodynamic design of high-speed trains.

Shape optimization of a sodium cooled fast reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmitt, D.; Allaire, G.; Pantz, O.; Pozin, N.

2013-01-01

Traditional designs of sodium cooled fast reactors have a positive sodium expansion feedback. During a loss of flow transient without scram, sodium heating and boiling thus insert a positive reactivity and prevents the power from decreasing. Recent studies led at CEA, AREVA and EDF show that cores with complex geometries can feature a very low or even a negative sodium void worth. Usual optimization methods for core conception are based on a parametric description of a given core design. New core concepts and shapes can then only be found by hand. Shape optimization methods have proven very efficient in the conception of optimal structures under thermal or mechanical constraints. First studies show that these methods could be applied to sodium cooled core conception. In this paper, a shape optimization method is applied to the conception of a sodium cooled fast reactor core with low sodium void worth. An objective function to be minimized is defined. It includes the reactivity change induced by a 1% sodium density decrease. The optimization variable is a displacement field changing the core geometry from one shape to another. Additionally, a parametric optimization of the plutonium content distribution of the core is made, so as to ensure that the core is kept critical, and that the power shape is flat enough. The final shape obtained must then be adjusted to a given realistic core layout. Its characteristics can be checked with reference neutronic codes such as ERANOS. Thanks to this method, new shapes of reactor cores could be inferred, and lead to new design ideas. (authors)

ZEUS-DO: A Design Oriented CFD-Based Unsteady Aerodynamic Capability for Flight Vehicle Multidisciplinary Configuration Shape Optimization, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — CFD-based design-oriented (DO) steady/unsteady aerodynamic analysis tools for Aeroelastic / Aeroservoelastic (AE/ASE) evaluation lag significantly behind other...

Distributed Aerodynamic Sensing and Processing Toolbox

Science.gov (United States)

Brenner, Martin; Jutte, Christine; Mangalam, Arun

2011-01-01

A Distributed Aerodynamic Sensing and Processing (DASP) toolbox was designed and fabricated for flight test applications with an Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW) mounted under the fuselage of an F-15B on the Flight Test Fixture (FTF). DASP monitors and processes the aerodynamics with the structural dynamics using nonintrusive, surface-mounted, hot-film sensing. This aerodynamic measurement tool benefits programs devoted to static/dynamic load alleviation, body freedom flutter suppression, buffet control, improvement of aerodynamic efficiency through cruise control, supersonic wave drag reduction through shock control, etc. This DASP toolbox measures local and global unsteady aerodynamic load distribution with distributed sensing. It determines correlation between aerodynamic observables (aero forces) and structural dynamics, and allows control authority increase through aeroelastic shaping and active flow control. It offers improvements in flutter suppression and, in particular, body freedom flutter suppression, as well as aerodynamic performance of wings for increased range/endurance of manned/ unmanned flight vehicles. Other improvements include inlet performance with closed-loop active flow control, and development and validation of advanced analytical and computational tools for unsteady aerodynamics.

Airfoil optimization for morphing aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Namgoong, Howoong

Continuous variation of the aircraft wing shape to improve aerodynamic performance over a wide range of flight conditions is one of the objectives of morphing aircraft design efforts. This is being pursued because of the development of new materials and actuation systems that might allow this shape change. The main purpose of this research is to establish appropriate problem formulations and optimization strategies to design an airfoil for morphing aircraft that include the energy required for shape change. A morphing aircraft can deform its wing shape, so the aircraft wing has different optimum shapes as the flight condition changes. The actuation energy needed for moving the airfoil surface is modeled and used as another design objective. Several multi-objective approaches are applied to a low-speed, incompressible flow problem and to a problem involving low-speed and transonic flow. The resulting solutions provide the best tradeoff between low drag, high energy and higher drag, low energy sets of airfoil shapes. From this range of solutions, design decisions can be made about how much energy is needed to achieve a desired aerodynamic performance. Additionally, an approach to model aerodynamic work, which would be more realistic and may allow using pressure on the airfoil to assist a morphing shape change, was formulated and used as part of the energy objective. These results suggest that it may be possible to design a morphing airfoil that exploits the airflow to reduce actuator energy.

Fourier analysis of the aerodynamic behavior of cup anemometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pindado, Santiago; Pérez, Imanol; Aguado, Maite

2013-01-01

The calibration results (the transfer function) of an anemometer equipped with several cup rotors were analyzed and correlated with the aerodynamic forces measured on the isolated cups in a wind tunnel. The correlation was based on a Fourier analysis of the normal-to-the-cup aerodynamic force. Three different cup shapes were studied: typical conical cups, elliptical cups and porous cups (conical-truncated shape). Results indicated a good correlation between the anemometer factor, K, and the ratio between the first two coefficients in the Fourier series decomposition of the normal-to-the-cup aerodynamic force. (paper)

Integrated topology and shape optimization in structural design

Science.gov (United States)

Bremicker, M.; Chirehdast, M.; Kikuchi, N.; Papalambros, P. Y.

1990-01-01

Structural optimization procedures usually start from a given design topology and vary its proportions or boundary shapes to achieve optimality under various constraints. Two different categories of structural optimization are distinguished in the literature, namely sizing and shape optimization. A major restriction in both cases is that the design topology is considered fixed and given. Questions concerning the general layout of a design (such as whether a truss or a solid structure should be used) as well as more detailed topology features (e.g., the number and connectivities of bars in a truss or the number of holes in a solid) have to be resolved by design experience before formulating the structural optimization model. Design quality of an optimized structure still depends strongly on engineering intuition. This article presents a novel approach for initiating formal structural optimization at an earlier stage, where the design topology is rigorously generated in addition to selecting shape and size dimensions. A three-phase design process is discussed: an optimal initial topology is created by a homogenization method as a gray level image, which is then transformed to a realizable design using computer vision techniques; this design is then parameterized and treated in detail by sizing and shape optimization. A fully automated process is described for trusses. Optimization of two dimensional solid structures is also discussed. Several application-oriented examples illustrate the usefulness of the proposed methodology.

CFD analysis on effect of front windshield angle on aerodynamic drag

Science.gov (United States)

Abdellah, Essaghouri; Wang, Bo

2017-09-01

The external aerodynamics plays an important role in the design process of any automotive. The whole performance of the vehicle can be improved with the help of external aerodynamics. The aerodynamic analysis nowadays is implemented in the recent research in the automotive industry to achieve better cars in terms of design and efficiency. The major objective of the present work is to find out the effect of changing the angle between the engine hood and the front windshield on reducing the car air resistance. A full scale three dimensional (BMW 3 series) sedan car model was carried out using the ALIAS AUTOSTUDIO 2016 a NURBS modeling tool with high quality surfaces, only the external shape of the car was modeled while the interior was not modeled. The ANSYS 17.0 WORKBENCH software package was used to analyse the airflow around the external shape of the car - the solutions of Reynolds Average Navier Stokes (RANS) equations has been carried out using realizable k-epsilon turbulence model (which is perfectly suitable for the automated calculation process) for the given car domain. In this work, the boundary layer, mesh quality, and turbulent value simulation has been compared and discussed in the result section. Finally the optimal model was selected and the redesigned car was analysed to verify the results.

On simultaneous shape and orientational design for eigenfrequency optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Leergaard

2007-01-01

Plates with an internal hole of fixed area are designed in order to maximize the performance with respect to eigenfrequencies. The optimization is performed by simultaneous shape, material, and orientational design. The shape of the hole is designed, and the material design is the design of an or......Plates with an internal hole of fixed area are designed in order to maximize the performance with respect to eigenfrequencies. The optimization is performed by simultaneous shape, material, and orientational design. The shape of the hole is designed, and the material design is the design...... of an orthotropic material that can be considered as a fiber-net within each finite element. This fiber-net is optimally oriented in the individual elements of the finite element discretization. The optimizations are performed using the finite element method for analysis, and the optimization approach is a two......-step method. In the first step, we find the best design on the basis of a recursive optimization procedure based on optimality criteria. In the second step, mathematical programming and sensitivity analysis are applied to find the final optimized design....

Multi-disciplinary design optimization and performance evaluation of a single stage transonic axial compressor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sae Il; Lee, Dong Ho; Kim, Kyu Hong; Park, Tae Choon; Lim, Byeung Jun; Kang, Young Seok

2013-01-01

The multidisciplinary design optimization method, which integrates aerodynamic performance and structural stability, was utilized in the development of a single-stage transonic axial compressor. An approximation model was created using artificial neural network for global optimization within given ranges of variables and several design constraints. The genetic algorithm was used for the exploration of the Pareto front to find the maximum objective function value. The final design was chosen after a second stage gradient-based optimization process to improve the accuracy of the optimization. To validate the design procedure, numerical simulations and compressor tests were carried out to evaluate the aerodynamic performance and safety factor of the optimized compressor. Comparison between numerical optimal results and experimental data are well matched. The optimum shape of the compressor blade is obtained and compared to the baseline design. The proposed optimization framework improves the aerodynamic efficiency and the safety factor.

Isogeometric shape optimization in fluid mechanics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørtoft, Peter; Gravesen, Jens

2013-01-01

The subject of this work is numerical shape optimization in fluid mechanics, based on isogeometric analysis. The generic goal is to design the shape of a 2-dimensional flow domain to minimize some prescribed objective while satisfying given geometric constraints. As part of the design problem...

Multivariate constrained shape optimization: Application to extrusion bell shape for pasta production

Science.gov (United States)

Sarghini, Fabrizio; De Vivo, Angela; Marra, Francesco

2017-10-01

Computational science and engineering methods have allowed a major change in the way products and processes are designed, as validated virtual models - capable to simulate physical, chemical and bio changes occurring during production processes - can be realized and used in place of real prototypes and performing experiments, often time and money consuming. Among such techniques, Optimal Shape Design (OSD) (Mohammadi & Pironneau, 2004) represents an interesting approach. While most classical numerical simulations consider fixed geometrical configurations, in OSD a certain number of geometrical degrees of freedom is considered as a part of the unknowns: this implies that the geometry is not completely defined, but part of it is allowed to move dynamically in order to minimize or maximize the objective function. The applications of optimal shape design (OSD) are uncountable. For systems governed by partial differential equations, they range from structure mechanics to electromagnetism and fluid mechanics or to a combination of the three. This paper presents one of possible applications of OSD, particularly how extrusion bell shape, for past production, can be designed by applying a multivariate constrained shape optimization.

Adaptive Aft Signature Shaping of a Low-Boom Supersonic Aircraft Using Off-Body Pressures

Science.gov (United States)

Ordaz, Irian; Li, Wu

2012-01-01

The design and optimization of a low-boom supersonic aircraft using the state-of-the- art o -body aerodynamics and sonic boom analysis has long been a challenging problem. The focus of this paper is to demonstrate an e ective geometry parameterization scheme and a numerical optimization approach for the aft shaping of a low-boom supersonic aircraft using o -body pressure calculations. A gradient-based numerical optimization algorithm that models the objective and constraints as response surface equations is used to drive the aft ground signature toward a ramp shape. The design objective is the minimization of the variation between the ground signature and the target signature subject to several geometric and signature constraints. The target signature is computed by using a least-squares regression of the aft portion of the ground signature. The parameterization and the deformation of the geometry is performed with a NASA in- house shaping tool. The optimization algorithm uses the shaping tool to drive the geometric deformation of a horizontal tail with a parameterization scheme that consists of seven camber design variables and an additional design variable that describes the spanwise location of the midspan section. The demonstration cases show that numerical optimization using the state-of-the-art o -body aerodynamic calculations is not only feasible and repeatable but also allows the exploration of complex design spaces for which a knowledge-based design method becomes less effective.

Research on shape optimization of CSG dams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Cai

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The multi-objective optimization method was used for shape optimization of cement sand and gravel (CSG dams in this study. The economic efficiency, the sensitivities of maximum horizontal displacement and maximum settlement of the dam to water level changes, the overall stability, and the overall strength security were taken into account during the optimization process. Three weight coefficient selection schemes were adopted to conduct shape optimization of a dam, and the case studies lead to the conclusion that both the upstream and downstream dam slope ratios for the optimal cross-section equal 1:0.7, which is consistent with the empirically observed range of 1:0.6 to 1:0.8 for the upstream and downstream dam slope ratios of CSG dams. Therefore, the present study is of certain reference value for designing CSG dams.

Influence of Different Diffuser Angle on Sedan's Aerodynamic Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xingjun; Zhang, Rui; Ye, Jian; Yan, Xu; Zhao, Zhiming

The aerodynamic characteristics have a great influence on the fuel economics and the steering stability of a high speed vehicle. The underbody rear diffuser is one of important aerodynamic add-on devices. The parameters of the diffuser, including the diffuser angle, the number and the shape of separators, the shape of the end plate and etc, will affect the underbody flow and the wake. Here, just the influence of the diffuser angle was investigated without separator and the end plate. The method of Computational Fluid Dynamics was adopted to study the aerodynamic characteristics of a simplified sedan with a different diffuser angle respectively. The diffuser angle was set to 0°, 3°, 6°, 9.8° and 12° respectively. The diffuser angle of the original model is 9.8°. The conclusions were drawn that when the diffuser angle increases, the underbody flow and especially the wake change greatly and the pressure change correspondingly; as a result, the total aerodynamic drag coefficients of car first decrease and then increases, while the total aerodynamic lift coefficients decrease.

Aerostructural Level Set Topology Optimization for a Common Research Model Wing

Science.gov (United States)

Dunning, Peter D.; Stanford, Bret K.; Kim, H. Alicia

2014-01-01

The purpose of this work is to use level set topology optimization to improve the design of a representative wing box structure for the NASA common research model. The objective is to minimize the total compliance of the structure under aerodynamic and body force loading, where the aerodynamic loading is coupled to the structural deformation. A taxi bump case was also considered, where only body force loads were applied. The trim condition that aerodynamic lift must balance the total weight of the aircraft is enforced by allowing the root angle of attack to change. The level set optimization method is implemented on an unstructured three-dimensional grid, so that the method can optimize a wing box with arbitrary geometry. Fast matching and upwind schemes are developed for an unstructured grid, which make the level set method robust and efficient. The adjoint method is used to obtain the coupled shape sensitivities required to perform aerostructural optimization of the wing box structure.

Adaptive finite element method for shape optimization

KAUST Repository

Morin, Pedro; Nochetto, Ricardo H.; Pauletti, Miguel S.; Verani, Marco

2012-01-01

We examine shape optimization problems in the context of inexact sequential quadratic programming. Inexactness is a consequence of using adaptive finite element methods (AFEM) to approximate the state and adjoint equations (via the dual weighted residual method), update the boundary, and compute the geometric functional. We present a novel algorithm that equidistributes the errors due to shape optimization and discretization, thereby leading to coarse resolution in the early stages and fine resolution upon convergence, and thus optimizing the computational effort. We discuss the ability of the algorithm to detect whether or not geometric singularities such as corners are genuine to the problem or simply due to lack of resolution - a new paradigm in adaptivity. © EDP Sciences, SMAI, 2012.

Adaptive finite element method for shape optimization

KAUST Repository

Morin, Pedro

2012-01-16

We examine shape optimization problems in the context of inexact sequential quadratic programming. Inexactness is a consequence of using adaptive finite element methods (AFEM) to approximate the state and adjoint equations (via the dual weighted residual method), update the boundary, and compute the geometric functional. We present a novel algorithm that equidistributes the errors due to shape optimization and discretization, thereby leading to coarse resolution in the early stages and fine resolution upon convergence, and thus optimizing the computational effort. We discuss the ability of the algorithm to detect whether or not geometric singularities such as corners are genuine to the problem or simply due to lack of resolution - a new paradigm in adaptivity. © EDP Sciences, SMAI, 2012.

On Shape Optimization for an Evolution Coupled System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leugering, G.; Novotny, A. A.; Perla Menzala, G.; Sokołowski, J.

2011-01-01

A shape optimization problem in three spatial dimensions for an elasto-dynamic piezoelectric body coupled to an acoustic chamber is introduced. Well-posedness of the problem is established and first order necessary optimality conditions are derived in the framework of the boundary variation technique. In particular, the existence of the shape gradient for an integral shape functional is obtained, as well as its regularity, sufficient for applications e.g. in modern loudspeaker technologies. The shape gradients are given by functions supported on the moving boundaries. The paper extends results obtained by the authors in (Math. Methods Appl. Sci. 33(17):2118–2131, 2010) where a similar problem was treated without acoustic coupling.

Aerodynamic Modelling and Optimization of Axial Fans

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Dan Nørtoft

A numerically efficient mathematical model for the aerodynamics oflow speed axial fans of the arbitrary vortex flow type has been developed.The model is based on a blade-element principle, whereby therotor is divided into a number of annular streamtubes.For each of these streamtubes relations......-Raphson method, andsolutions converged to machine accuracy are found at small computing costs.The model has been validated against published measurementson various fan configurations,comprising two rotor-only fan stages, a counter-rotatingfan unit and a stator-rotor-stator stage.Comparisons of local...... and integrated propertiesshow that the computed results agree well with the measurements.Integrating a rotor-only version of the aerodynamic modelwith an algorithm for numerical designoptimization, enables the finding of an optimum fan rotor.The angular velocity of the rotor, the hub radius and the spanwise...

Design of pressure vessels using shape optimization: An integrated approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carbonari, R.C., E-mail: ronny@usp.br [Department of Mechatronic Engineering, Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2231 Sao Paulo, SP 05508-900 (Brazil); Munoz-Rojas, P.A., E-mail: pablo@joinville.udesc.br [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, Bom Retiro, Joinville, SC 89223-100 (Brazil); Andrade, E.Q., E-mail: edmundoq@petrobras.com.br [CENPES, PDP/Metodos Cientificos, Petrobras (Brazil); Paulino, G.H., E-mail: paulino@uiuc.edu [Newmark Laboratory, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 205 North Mathews Av., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 158 Mechanical Engineering Building, 1206 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801-2906 (United States); Nishimoto, K., E-mail: knishimo@usp.br [Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2231 Sao Paulo, SP 05508-900 (Brazil); Silva, E.C.N., E-mail: ecnsilva@usp.br [Department of Mechatronic Engineering, Escola Politecnica da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes, 2231 Sao Paulo, SP 05508-900 (Brazil)

2011-05-15

Previous papers related to the optimization of pressure vessels have considered the optimization of the nozzle independently from the dished end. This approach generates problems such as thickness variation from nozzle to dished end (coupling cylindrical region) and, as a consequence, it reduces the optimality of the final result which may also be influenced by the boundary conditions. Thus, this work discusses shape optimization of axisymmetric pressure vessels considering an integrated approach in which the entire pressure vessel model is used in conjunction with a multi-objective function that aims to minimize the von-Mises mechanical stress from nozzle to head. Representative examples are examined and solutions obtained for the entire vessel considering temperature and pressure loading. It is noteworthy that different shapes from the usual ones are obtained. Even though such different shapes may not be profitable considering present manufacturing processes, they may be competitive for future manufacturing technologies, and contribute to a better understanding of the actual influence of shape in the behavior of pressure vessels. - Highlights: > Shape optimization of entire pressure vessel considering an integrated approach. > By increasing the number of spline knots, the convergence stability is improved. > The null angle condition gives lower stress values resulting in a better design. > The cylinder stresses are very sensitive to the cylinder length. > The shape optimization of the entire vessel must be considered for cylinder length.

A numerical and theoretical study on the aerodynamics of a rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxlyus dichotomus) and optimization of its wing kinematics in hover

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Sehyeong; Lee, Boogeon; Park, Hyungmin; Choi, Haecheon

2017-11-01

We investigate a hovering rhinoceros beetle using numerical simulation and blade element theory. Numerical simulations are performed using an immersed boundary method. In the simulation, the hindwings are modeled as a rigid flat plate, and three-dimensionally scanned elytra and body are used. The results of simulation indicate that the lift force generated by the hindwings alone is sufficient to support the weight, and the elytra generate negligible lift force. Considering the hindwings only, we present a blade element model based on quasi-steady assumptions to identify the mechanisms of aerodynamic force generation and power expenditure in the hovering flight of a rhinoceros beetle. We show that the results from the present blade element model are in excellent agreement with numerical ones. Based on the current blade element model, we find the optimal wing kinematics minimizing the aerodynamic power requirement using a hybrid optimization algorithm combining a clustering genetic algorithm with a gradient-based optimizer. We show that the optimal wing kinematics reduce the aerodynamic power consumption, generating enough lift force to support the weight. This research was supported by a Grant to Bio-Mimetic Robot Research Center Funded by Defense Acquisition Program Administration, and by Agency for Defense Development (UD130070ID) and NRF-2016R1E1A1A02921549 of the MSIP of Korea.

Aerodynamic tailoring of the Learjet Model 60 wing

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasekharan, Reuben M.; Hawke, Veronica M.; Hinson, Michael L.; Kennelly, Robert A., Jr.; Madson, Michael D.

1993-01-01

The wing of the Learjet Model 60 was tailored for improved aerodynamic characteristics using the TRANAIR transonic full-potential computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. A root leading edge glove and wing tip fairing were shaped to reduce shock strength, improve cruise drag and extend the buffet limit. The aerodynamic design was validated by wind tunnel test and flight test data.

Flapping wing flight can save aerodynamic power compared to steady flight.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesavento, Umberto; Wang, Z Jane

2009-09-11

Flapping flight is more maneuverable than steady flight. It is debated whether this advantage is necessarily accompanied by a trade-off in the flight efficiency. Here we ask if any flapping motion exists that is aerodynamically more efficient than the optimal steady motion. We solve the Navier-Stokes equation governing the fluid dynamics around a 2D flapping wing, and determine the minimal aerodynamic power needed to support a specified weight. While most flapping wing motions are more costly than the optimal steady wing motion, we find that optimized flapping wing motions can save up to 27% of the aerodynamic power required by the optimal steady flight. We explain the cause of this energetic advantage.

Design and aerodynamic performance evaluation of a high-work mixed flow turbine stage

Science.gov (United States)

Neri, Remo N.; Elliott, Thomas J.; Marsh, David N.; Civinskas, Kestutis C.

1994-01-01

As axial and radial turbine designs have been pushed to their aerothermodynamic and mechanical limits, the mixed-flow turbine (MFT) concept has been projected to offer performance and durability improvements, especially when ceramic materials are considered. The objective of this NASA/U.S. Army sponsored mixed-flow turbine (AMFT) program was to determine the level of performance attainable with MFT technology within the mechanical constraints of 1997 projected ceramic material properties. The MFT geometry is similar to a radial turbine, exhibiting a large radius change from inlet to exit, but differing in that the inlet flowpath is not purely radial, nor axial, but mixed; it is the inlet geometry that gives rise to the name 'mixed-flow'. The 'mixed' orientation of the turbine inlet offers several advantages over radial designs by allowing a nonzero inlet blade angle yet maintaining radial-element blades. The oblique inlet not only improves the particle-impact survivability of the design, but improves the aerodynamic performance by reducing the incidence at the blade inlet. The difficulty, however, of using mixed-flow geometry lies in the scarcity of detailed data and documented design experience. This paper reports the design of a MFT stage designed with the intent to maximize aerodynamic performance by optimizing design parameters such as stage reaction, rotor incidence, flowpath shape, blade shape, vane geometry, and airfoil counts using 2-D, 3-D inviscid, and 3-D viscous computational fluid dynamics code. The aerodynamic optimization was accomplished while maintaining mechanical integrity with respect to vibration and stress levels in the rotor. A full-scale cold-flow rig test was performed with metallic hardware fabricated to the specifications of the hot ceramic geometry to evaluate the stage performance.

Center for Computational Wind Turbine Aerodynamics and Atmospheric Turbulence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2014-01-01

In order to design and operate a wind farm optimally it is necessary to know in detail how the wind behaves and interacts with the turbines in a farm. This not only requires knowledge about meteorology, turbulence and aerodynamics, but it also requires access to powerful computers and efficient s...... software. Center for Computational Wind Turbine Aerodynamics and Atmospheric Turbulence was established in 2010 in order to create a world-leading cross-disciplinary flow center that covers all relevant disciplines within wind farm meteorology and aerodynamics.......In order to design and operate a wind farm optimally it is necessary to know in detail how the wind behaves and interacts with the turbines in a farm. This not only requires knowledge about meteorology, turbulence and aerodynamics, but it also requires access to powerful computers and efficient...

Behaviour of non-spherical particles in the TSI aerodynamic particle sizer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, I.A.

1991-02-01

The TSI Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS33B) is a real-time monitor which is capable of measuring aerosols in terms of this most relevant size parameter for the assessment of occupational risk. The influence of particle shape on APS33B performance has been investigated using a range of monodisperse, regular-shaped and non-porous solid particles in the size range from about 6 to 14 μm aerodynamic diameter. (author)

Optimization of Root Section for Ultra-long Steam Turbine Rotor Blade

Science.gov (United States)

Hála, Jindřich; Luxa, Martin; Šimurda, David; Bobčík, Marek; Novák, Ondřej; Rudas, Bartoloměj; Synáč, Jaroslav

2018-04-01

This study presents the comparison of aerodynamic performances of two successive designs of the root profiles for the ultra-long rotor blade equipped with a straight fir-tree dovetail. Since aerodynamic and strength requirements laid upon the root section design are contradictory, it is necessary to aerodynamically optimize the design within the limits given by the foremost strength requirements. The most limiting criterion of the static strength is the size of the blade cross-section, which is determined by the number of blades in a rotor and also by the shape and size of a blade dovetail. The aerodynamic design requires mainly the zero incidence angle at the inlet of a profile and in the ideal case ensures that the load does not exceed a limit load condition. Moreover, the typical root profile cascades are transonic with supersonic exit Mach number, therefore, the shape of a suction side and a trailing edge has to respect transonic expansion of a working gas. In this paper, the two variants of root section profile cascades are compared and the aerodynamic qualities of both variants are verified using CFD simulation and two mutually independent experimental methods of measurements (optical and pneumatic).

A LEVEL SET BASED SHAPE OPTIMIZATION METHOD FOR AN ELLIPTIC OBSTACLE PROBLEM

KAUST Repository

Burger, Martin

2011-04-01

In this paper, we construct a level set method for an elliptic obstacle problem, which can be reformulated as a shape optimization problem. We provide a detailed shape sensitivity analysis for this reformulation and a stability result for the shape Hessian at the optimal shape. Using the shape sensitivities, we construct a geometric gradient flow, which can be realized in the context of level set methods. We prove the convergence of the gradient flow to an optimal shape and provide a complete analysis of the level set method in terms of viscosity solutions. To our knowledge this is the first complete analysis of a level set method for a nonlocal shape optimization problem. Finally, we discuss the implementation of the methods and illustrate its behavior through several computational experiments. © 2011 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Optimal shapes of compact strings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maritan, A.; Micheletti, C.; Trovato, A.; Banavar, J.R.

2000-07-01

Optimal geometrical arrangements, such as the stacking of atoms, are of relevance in diverse disciplines. A classic problem is the determination of the optimal arrangement of spheres in three dimensions in order to achieve the highest packing fraction; only recently has it been proved that the answer for infinite systems is a face-centred-cubic lattice. This simply stated problem has had a profound impact in many areas, ranging from the crystallization and melting of atomic systems, to optimal packing of objects and subdivision of space. Here we study an analogous problem-that of determining the optimal shapes of closely packed compact strings. This problem is a mathematical idealization of situations commonly encountered in biology, chemistry and physics, involving the optimal structure of folded polymeric chains. We find that, in cases where boundary effects are not dominant, helices with a particular pitch-radius ratio are selected. Interestingly, the same geometry is observed in helices in naturally-occurring proteins. (author)

Methodology for sensitivity analysis, approximate analysis, and design optimization in CFD for multidisciplinary applications. [computational fluid dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Arthur C., III; Hou, Gene W.

1992-01-01

Fundamental equations of aerodynamic sensitivity analysis and approximate analysis for the two dimensional thin layer Navier-Stokes equations are reviewed, and special boundary condition considerations necessary to apply these equations to isolated lifting airfoils on 'C' and 'O' meshes are discussed in detail. An efficient strategy which is based on the finite element method and an elastic membrane representation of the computational domain is successfully tested, which circumvents the costly 'brute force' method of obtaining grid sensitivity derivatives, and is also useful in mesh regeneration. The issue of turbulence modeling is addressed in a preliminary study. Aerodynamic shape sensitivity derivatives are efficiently calculated, and their accuracy is validated on two viscous test problems, including: (1) internal flow through a double throat nozzle, and (2) external flow over a NACA 4-digit airfoil. An automated aerodynamic design optimization strategy is outlined which includes the use of a design optimization program, an aerodynamic flow analysis code, an aerodynamic sensitivity and approximate analysis code, and a mesh regeneration and grid sensitivity analysis code. Application of the optimization methodology to the two test problems in each case resulted in a new design having a significantly improved performance in the aerodynamic response of interest.

Finding optimum airfoil shape to get maximum aerodynamic efficiency for a wind turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Sogukpinar, Haci; Bozkurt, Ismail

2017-02-01

In this study, aerodynamic performances of S-series wind turbine airfoil of S 825 are investigated to find optimum angle of attack. Aerodynamic performances calculations are carried out by utilization of a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method withstand finite capacity approximation by using Reynolds-Averaged-Navier Stokes (RANS) theorem. The lift and pressure coefficients, lift to drag ratio of airfoil S 825 are analyzed with SST turbulence model then obtained results crosscheck with wind tunnel data to verify the precision of computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) approximation. The comparison indicates that SST turbulence model used in this study can predict aerodynamics properties of wind blade.

TAD- THEORETICAL AERODYNAMICS PROGRAM

Science.gov (United States)

Barrowman, J.

1994-01-01

This theoretical aerodynamics program, TAD, was developed to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of vehicles with sounding rocket configurations. These slender, axisymmetric finned vehicle configurations have a wide range of aeronautical applications from rockets to high speed armament. Over a given range of Mach numbers, TAD will compute the normal force coefficient derivative, the center-of-pressure, the roll forcing moment coefficient derivative, the roll damping moment coefficient derivative, and the pitch damping moment coefficient derivative of a sounding rocket configured vehicle. The vehicle may consist of a sharp pointed nose of cone or tangent ogive shape, up to nine other body divisions of conical shoulder, conical boattail, or circular cylinder shape, and fins of trapezoid planform shape with constant cross section and either three or four fins per fin set. The characteristics computed by TAD have been shown to be accurate to within ten percent of experimental data in the supersonic region. The TAD program calculates the characteristics of separate portions of the vehicle, calculates the interference between separate portions of the vehicle, and then combines the results to form a total vehicle solution. Also, TAD can be used to calculate the characteristics of the body or fins separately as an aid in the design process. Input to the TAD program consists of simple descriptions of the body and fin geometries and the Mach range of interest. Output includes the aerodynamic characteristics of the total vehicle, or user-selected portions, at specified points over the mach range. The TAD program is written in FORTRAN IV for batch execution and has been implemented on an IBM 360 computer with a central memory requirement of approximately 123K of 8 bit bytes. The TAD program was originally developed in 1967 and last updated in 1972.

The shape gradient of the least-squares objective functional in optimal shape design problems of radiative heat transfer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rukolaine, Sergey A.

2010-01-01

Optimal shape design problems of steady-state radiative heat transfer are considered. The optimal shape design problem (in the three-dimensional space) is formulated as an inverse one, i.e., in the form of an operator equation of the first kind with respect to a surface to be optimized. The operator equation is reduced to a minimization problem via a least-squares objective functional. The minimization problem has to be solved numerically. Gradient minimization methods need the gradient of a functional to be minimized. In this paper the shape gradient of the least-squares objective functional is derived with the help of the shape sensitivity analysis and adjoint problem method. In practice a surface to be optimized may be (or, most likely, is to be) given in a parametric form by a finite number of parameters. In this case the objective functional is, in fact, a function in a finite-dimensional space and the shape gradient becomes an ordinary gradient. The gradient of the objective functional, in the case that the surface to be optimized is given in a finite-parametric form, is derived from the shape gradient. A particular case, that a surface to be optimized is a 'two-dimensional' polyhedral one, is considered. The technique, developed in the paper, is applied to a synthetic problem of designing a 'two-dimensional' radiant enclosure.

Implicit geometric representations for optimal design of gas turbine blades

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansour, T.; Ghaly, W.

2004-01-01

Shape optimization requires a proper geometric representation of the blade profile; the parameters of such a representation are usually taken as design variables in the optimization process. This implies that the model must possess three specific features: flexibility, efficiency, and accuracy. For the specific task of aerodynamic optimization for turbine blades, it is critical to have flexibility in both the global and local design spaces in order to obtain a successful optimization. This work is concerned with the development of two geometric representations of turbine blade profiles that are appropriate for aerodynamic optimization: the Modified Rapid Axial Turbine Design (MRATD) model where the blade is represented by five low-order curves that satisfy eleven designer parameters; this model is suitable for a global search of the design space. The second model is NURBS parameterization of the blade profile that can be used for a local refinement. The two models are presented and are assessed for flexibility and accuracy when representing several typical turbine blade profiles. The models will be further discussed in terms of curve smoothness and blade shape representation with a multi-NURBS curve versus one curve and its effect on the flow field, in particular the pressure distribution along the blade surfaces, will be elaborated. (author)

Validation of 3-D Ice Accretion Measurement Methodology for Experimental Aerodynamic Simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Broeren, Andy P.; Addy, Harold E., Jr.; Lee, Sam; Monastero, Marianne C.

2015-01-01

Determining the adverse aerodynamic effects due to ice accretion often relies on dry-air wind-tunnel testing of artificial, or simulated, ice shapes. Recent developments in ice-accretion documentation methods have yielded a laser-scanning capability that can measure highly three-dimensional (3-D) features of ice accreted in icing wind tunnels. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the aerodynamic accuracy of ice-accretion simulations generated from laser-scan data. Ice-accretion tests were conducted in the NASA Icing Research Tunnel using an 18-in. chord, two-dimensional (2-D) straight wing with NACA 23012 airfoil section. For six ice-accretion cases, a 3-D laser scan was performed to document the ice geometry prior to the molding process. Aerodynamic performance testing was conducted at the University of Illinois low-speed wind tunnel at a Reynolds number of 1.8 × 10(exp 6) and a Mach number of 0.18 with an 18-in. chord NACA 23012 airfoil model that was designed to accommodate the artificial ice shapes. The ice-accretion molds were used to fabricate one set of artificial ice shapes from polyurethane castings. The laser-scan data were used to fabricate another set of artificial ice shapes using rapid prototype manufacturing such as stereolithography. The iced-airfoil results with both sets of artificial ice shapes were compared to evaluate the aerodynamic simulation accuracy of the laser-scan data. For five of the six ice-accretion cases, there was excellent agreement in the iced-airfoil aerodynamic performance between the casting and laser-scan based simulations. For example, typical differences in iced-airfoil maximum lift coefficient were less than 3 percent with corresponding differences in stall angle of approximately 1 deg or less. The aerodynamic simulation accuracy reported in this paper has demonstrated the combined accuracy of the laser-scan and rapid-prototype manufacturing approach to simulating ice accretion for a NACA 23012 airfoil. For several

Isogeometric shape optimization of photonic crystals via Coons patches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qian, Xiaoping; Sigmund, Ole

2011-01-01

In this paper, we present an approach that extends isogeometric shape optimization from optimization of rectangular-like NURBS patches to the optimization of topologically complex geometries. We have successfully applied this approach in designing photonic crystals where complex geometries have...

Bulbous Bow Shape Optimization

OpenAIRE

Blanchard , Louis; Berrini , Elisa; Duvigneau , Régis; Roux , Yann; Mourrain , Bernard; Jean , Eric

2013-01-01

International audience; The aim of this study is to prove the usefulness of a bulbous bow for a fishing vessel, in terms of drag reduction, using an automated shape optimization procedure including hydrodynamic simulations. A bulbous bow is an appendage that is known to reduce the drag, thanks to its influence on the bow wave system. However, the definition of the geometrical parameters of the bulb, such as its length and thickness, is not intuitive, as both parameters are coupled with regard...

Aerodynamics Research Revolutionizes Truck Design

Science.gov (United States)

2008-01-01

During the 1970s and 1980s, researchers at Dryden Flight Research Center conducted numerous tests to refine the shape of trucks to reduce aerodynamic drag and improved efficiency. During the 1980s and 1990s, a team based at Langley Research Center explored controlling drag and the flow of air around a moving body. Aeroserve Technologies Ltd., of Ottawa, Canada, with its subsidiary, Airtab LLC, in Loveland, Colorado, applied the research from Dryden and Langley to the development of the Airtab vortex generator. Airtabs create two counter-rotating vortices to reduce wind resistance and aerodynamic drag of trucks, trailers, recreational vehicles, and many other vehicles.

Morphing-Based Shape Optimization in Computational Fluid Dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Rousseau, Yannick; Men'Shov, Igor; Nakamura, Yoshiaki

In this paper, a Morphing-based Shape Optimization (MbSO) technique is presented for solving Optimum-Shape Design (OSD) problems in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The proposed method couples Free-Form Deformation (FFD) and Evolutionary Computation, and, as its name suggests, relies on the morphing of shape and computational domain, rather than direct shape parameterization. Advantages of the FFD approach compared to traditional parameterization are first discussed. Then, examples of shape and grid deformations by FFD are presented. Finally, the MbSO approach is illustrated and applied through an example: the design of an airfoil for a future Mars exploration airplane.

TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AERODYNAMIC SHAPE OF MEDIUM SIZED PERSPECTIVE HELICOPTER FUSELAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the initial stage of work out of the helicopter body aerodynamic configuration. The main pur- pose of this work is to design the model of the fuselage and to minimize its drag.The analysis of experimental data obtained in TsAGI and other research centers was made at the first stage of the work. All features of flow around parts of the fuselage obtained from experimental data were taken into account. The de- pendencies of the fuselage component drag, such as the bow, fairings exhaust pipes of helicopter, sponsons, and tail sectionof the fuselage, on their form are described in this article.At the second stage the fuselage geometry was created in program SolidWorks. All the features of the flow around various fuselage components derived from the experimental data were considered in designing.The third stage is calculating of fuselage model aerodynamic characteristics. The calculations were made in the program ANSYS CFX (TsAGI License №501024. Boundary conditions were chosen so as to correspond to normal at- mospheric conditions at 1,000 meters with velocity of flight is V = 85 m/s. The output of the hot jet from engines is takinginto account in computation. The purpose of this calculation is to find the optimal angle of the engine exhaust pipe whenthe hot spray does not intersect with the tail and stabilizer and creates the maximum of propulsive force. The volume of the grid in computational domain is approximately 13 million cells.Data analysis has shown that the fuselage has a 20% less drag at cruising flight (аf = -4 ° compared to the original model. The hot jets do not intersect with the tail and stabilizers at cruising flight so the fuselage is protected from overheating.

POEMS in Newton's Aerodynamic Frustum

Science.gov (United States)

Sampedro, Jaime Cruz; Tetlalmatzi-Montiel, Margarita

2010-01-01

The golden mean is often naively seen as a sign of optimal beauty but rarely does it arise as the solution of a true optimization problem. In this article we present such a problem, demonstrating a close relationship between the golden mean and a special case of Newton's aerodynamical problem for the frustum of a cone. Then, we exhibit a parallel…

Aerodynamic performance of a hovering hawkmoth with flexible wings: a computational approach

OpenAIRE

Nakata, Toshiyuki; Liu, Hao

2011-01-01

Insect wings are deformable structures that change shape passively and dynamically owing to inertial and aerodynamic forces during flight. It is still unclear how the three-dimensional and passive change of wing kinematics owing to inherent wing flexibility contributes to unsteady aerodynamics and energetics in insect flapping flight. Here, we perform a systematic fluid-structure interaction based analysis on the aerodynamic performance of a hovering hawkmoth, Manduca, with an integrated comp...

Optimal design of impeller for centrifugal compressor under the influence of one-way fluid-structure interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Hyun Soo; Kim, Youn Jae [Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-09-15

In this study, a method for optimal design of impeller for centrifugal compressor under the influence of Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and Response surface method (RSM) was studied. Numerical simulation was conducted using ANSYS Multi-physics with various configurations of impeller geometry. Each of the design parameters was divided into 3 levels. Total 45 design points were planned by Central composite design (CCD) method, which is one of the Design of experiment (DOE) techniques. Response surfaces generated based on the DOE results were used to find the optimal shape of impeller for high aerodynamic performance. The whole process of optimization was conducted using ANSYS Design xplorer (DX). Through the optimization, structural safety and aerodynamic performance of centrifugal compressor were improved.

Optimal design of impeller for centrifugal compressor under the influence of one-way fluid-structure interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Hyun Soo; Kim, Youn Jae

2016-01-01

In this study, a method for optimal design of impeller for centrifugal compressor under the influence of Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and Response surface method (RSM) was studied. Numerical simulation was conducted using ANSYS Multi-physics with various configurations of impeller geometry. Each of the design parameters was divided into 3 levels. Total 45 design points were planned by Central composite design (CCD) method, which is one of the Design of experiment (DOE) techniques. Response surfaces generated based on the DOE results were used to find the optimal shape of impeller for high aerodynamic performance. The whole process of optimization was conducted using ANSYS Design xplorer (DX). Through the optimization, structural safety and aerodynamic performance of centrifugal compressor were improved

Status of integrated multidisciplinary rotorcraft optimization research at the Langley Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Mantay, Wayne R.; Adelman, Howard M.

1990-01-01

This paper describes a joint NASA/Army research activity at the Langley Research Center to develop optimization procedures aimed at improving the rotor blade design process by integrating appropriate disciplines and accounting for important interactions among the disciplines. The activity is being guided by a Steering Committee made up of key NASA and Army researchers and managers. The paper describes the optimization formulation in terms of the objective function, design variables, and constraints. The analysis aspects are discussed, and the interdisciplinary interactions are defined in terms of the information that must be transferred among disciplinary analyses as well as the trade-offs between disciplines in determining the details of the design. At this writing, some significant progress has been made. Results given in the paper represent accomplishments in rotor aerodynamic performance optimization for minimum horsepower, rotor dynamic optimization for vibration reduction, approximate analysis of frequencies and mode shapes, rotor structural optimization for minimum weight, and integrated aerodynamic load/dynamics optimization for minimum vibration and weight.

Reference-shaping adaptive control by using gradient descent optimizers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baris Baykant Alagoz

Full Text Available This study presents a model reference adaptive control scheme based on reference-shaping approach. The proposed adaptive control structure includes two optimizer processes that perform gradient descent optimization. The first process is the control optimizer that generates appropriate control signal for tracking of the controlled system output to a reference model output. The second process is the adaptation optimizer that performs for estimation of a time-varying adaptation gain, and it contributes to improvement of control signal generation. Numerical update equations derived for adaptation gain and control signal perform gradient descent optimization in order to decrease the model mismatch errors. To reduce noise sensitivity of the system, a dead zone rule is applied to the adaptation process. Simulation examples show the performance of the proposed Reference-Shaping Adaptive Control (RSAC method for several test scenarios. An experimental study demonstrates application of method for rotor control.

Aerodynamic Parameters of a UK City Derived from Morphological Data

Science.gov (United States)

Millward-Hopkins, J. T.; Tomlin, A. S.; Ma, L.; Ingham, D. B.; Pourkashanian, M.

2013-03-01

Detailed three-dimensional building data and a morphometric model are used to estimate the aerodynamic roughness length z 0 and displacement height d over a major UK city (Leeds). Firstly, using an adaptive grid, the city is divided into neighbourhood regions that are each of a relatively consistent geometry throughout. Secondly, for each neighbourhood, a number of geometric parameters are calculated. Finally, these are used as input into a morphometric model that considers the influence of height variability to predict aerodynamic roughness length and displacement height. Predictions are compared with estimations made using standard tables of aerodynamic parameters. The comparison suggests that the accuracy of plan-area-density based tables is likely to be limited, and that height-based tables of aerodynamic parameters may be more accurate for UK cities. The displacement heights in the standard tables are shown to be lower than the current predictions. The importance of geometric details in determining z 0 and d is then explored. Height variability is observed to greatly increase the predicted values. However, building footprint shape only has a significant influence upon the predictions when height variability is not considered. Finally, we develop simple relations to quantify the influence of height variation upon predicted z 0 and d via the standard deviation of building heights. The difference in these predictions compared to the more complex approach highlights the importance of considering the specific shape of the building-height distributions. Collectively, these results suggest that to accurately predict aerodynamic parameters of real urban areas, height variability must be considered in detail, but it may be acceptable to make simple assumptions about building layout and footprint shape.

Suggested benchmarks for shape optimization for minimum stress concentration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Pauli

2008-01-01

Shape optimization for minimum stress concentration is vital, important, and difficult. New formulations and numerical procedures imply the need for good benchmarks. The available analytical shape solutions rely on assumptions that are seldom satisfied, so here, we suggest alternative benchmarks...

Relaxed error control in shape optimization that utilizes remeshing

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Wilke, DN

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Shape optimization strategies based on error indicators usually require strict error control for every computed design during the optimization run. The strict error control serves two purposes. Firstly, it allows for the accurate computation...

Topology optimization of compliant adaptive wing leading edge with composite materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tong Xinxing

2014-12-01

Full Text Available An approach for designing the compliant adaptive wing leading edge with composite material is proposed based on the topology optimization. Firstly, an equivalent constitutive relationship of laminated glass fiber reinforced epoxy composite plates has been built based on the symmetric laminated plate theory. Then, an optimization objective function of compliant adaptive wing leading edge was used to minimize the least square error (LSE between deformed curve and desired aerodynamics shape. After that, the topology structures of wing leading edge of different glass fiber ply-orientations were obtained by using the solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP model and sensitivity filtering technique. The desired aerodynamics shape of compliant adaptive wing leading edge was obtained based on the proposed approach. The topology structures of wing leading edge depend on the glass fiber ply-orientation. Finally, the corresponding morphing experiment of compliant wing leading edge with composite materials was implemented, which verified the morphing capability of topology structure and illustrated the feasibility for designing compliant wing leading edge. The present paper lays the basis of ply-orientation optimization for compliant adaptive wing leading edge in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV field.

Shape Optimization for Navier-Stokes Equations with Algebraic Turbulence Model: Existence Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bulicek, Miroslav; Haslinger, Jaroslav; Malek, Josef; Stebel, Jan

2009-01-01

We study a shape optimization problem for the paper machine headbox which distributes a mixture of water and wood fibers in the paper making process. The aim is to find a shape which a priori ensures the given velocity profile on the outlet part. The mathematical formulation leads to an optimal control problem in which the control variable is the shape of the domain representing the header, the state problem is represented by a generalized stationary Navier-Stokes system with nontrivial mixed boundary conditions. In this paper we prove the existence of solutions both to the generalized Navier-Stokes system and to the shape optimization problem

Pole Shape Optimization of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors Using the Reduced Basis Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Jabbari

2010-03-01

Full Text Available In the present work, an integrated method of pole shape design optimization for reduction of torque pulsation components in permanent magnet synchronous motors is developed. A progressive design process is presented to find feasible optimal shapes. This method is applied on the pole shape optimization of two prototype permanent magnet synchronous motors, i.e., 4-poles/6-slots and 4-poles-12slots.

Combined shape and topology optimization for minimization of maximal von Mises stress

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lian, Haojie; Christiansen, Asger Nyman; Tortorelli, Daniel A.

2017-01-01

This work shows that a combined shape and topology optimization method can produce optimal 2D designs with minimal stress subject to a volume constraint. The method represents the surface explicitly and discretizes the domain into a simplicial complex which adapts both structural shape and topology....... By performing repeated topology and shape optimizations and adaptive mesh updates, we can minimize the maximum von Mises stress using the p-norm stress measure with p-values as high as 30, provided that the stress is calculated with sufficient accuracy....

3D numerical analysis and optimization of aerodynamic performance of turbine blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Dingbiao; Xie Wen; Zhou Junjie

2010-01-01

To reduce the stator profile loss and improve the efficiency of the industrial steam turbine, a numerical analysis and optimization of the data for the steam turbine stator blade are conducted by the NUMECA,a CFD software. The result shows that, compared with the original blade, the 'after loading' blade is with the best static pressure coefficient distribution, and effectively postpones the transition point position, reduces the radial pressure gradient of suction surface, and cut down the secondary flow loss effectively. The total pressure losses of the 'after loading' blade is 1.03%, which is the least, and the single-stage efficiency is 94.462%, which is the maximum and increases 14.33%. Thus, the aerodynamic performance of stage is improved obviously, the profile loss decreases through using the 'after loading' blade. (authors)

Axial Turbine Aerodynamic Design of Small Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joung Seok; Lee, Wu Sang; Ryu, Je Wook

2013-01-01

This study describes the aerodynamic design procedure for the axial turbines of a small heavy-duty gas turbine engine being developed by Docosan Heavy Industries. The design procedure mainly consists of three parts: namely, flow path design, airfoil design, and 3a performance calculation. To design the optimized flow path, through flow calculations as well as the loss estimation are widely used to evaluate the effect of geometric variables, for example, shape of meridional plane, mean radius, blades axial gap, and had angle. During the airfoil design procedure, the optimum number of blades is calculated by empirical correlations based on the in/outlet flow angles, and then 2a airfoil planar sections are designed carefully, followed by 2a B2 NS calculations. The designed planar sections are stacked along the span wise direction, leading to a 3a surfaced airfoil shape. To consider the 3a effect on turbine performance, 3a multistage Euler calculation, single row, and multistage NS calculations are performed

Numerical study of aerodynamic effects on road vehicles lifting surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Cernat, Mihail Victor; Cernat Bobonea, Andreea

2017-01-01

The aerodynamic performance analysis of road vehicles depends on the study of engine intake and cooling flow, internal ventilation, tire cooling, and overall external flow as the motion of air around a moving vehicle affects all of its components in one form or another. Due to the complex geometry of these, the aerodynamic interaction between the various body components is significant, resulting in vortex flow and lifting surface shapes. The present study, however focuses on the effects of external aerodynamics only, and in particular on the flow over the lifting surfaces of a common compact car, designed especially for this study.

Combined shape and topology optimization for minimization of maximal von Mises stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lian, Haojie; Christiansen, Asger N.; Tortorelli, Daniel A.; Sigmund, Ole; Aage, Niels

2017-01-01

Here, this work shows that a combined shape and topology optimization method can produce optimal 2D designs with minimal stress subject to a volume constraint. The method represents the surface explicitly and discretizes the domain into a simplicial complex which adapts both structural shape and topology. By performing repeated topology and shape optimizations and adaptive mesh updates, we can minimize the maximum von Mises stress using the p-norm stress measure with p-values as high as 30, provided that the stress is calculated with sufficient accuracy.

Progresses in application of computational ?uid dynamic methods to large scale wind turbine aerodynamics?

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhenyu ZHANG; Ning ZHAO; Wei ZHONG; Long WANG; Bofeng XU

2016-01-01

The computational ?uid dynamics (CFD) methods are applied to aerody-namic problems for large scale wind turbines. The progresses including the aerodynamic analyses of wind turbine pro?les, numerical ?ow simulation of wind turbine blades, evalu-ation of aerodynamic performance, and multi-objective blade optimization are discussed. Based on the CFD methods, signi?cant improvements are obtained to predict two/three-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbine airfoils and blades, and the vorti-cal structure in their wake ?ows is accurately captured. Combining with a multi-objective genetic algorithm, a 1.5 MW NH-1500 optimized blade is designed with high e?ciency in wind energy conversion.

Aerodynamic Classification of Swept-Wing Ice Accretion

Science.gov (United States)

Diebold, Jeff M.; Broeren, Andy P.; Bragg, Michael B.

2013-01-01

The continued design, certification and safe operation of swept-wing airplanes in icing conditions rely on the advancement of computational and experimental simulation methods for higher fidelity results over an increasing range of aircraft configurations and performance, and icing conditions. The current stateof- the-art in icing aerodynamics is mainly built upon a comprehensive understanding of two-dimensional geometries that does not currently exist for fundamentally three-dimensional geometries such as swept wings. The purpose of this report is to describe what is known of iced-swept-wing aerodynamics and to identify the type of research that is required to improve the current understanding. Following the method used in a previous review of iced-airfoil aerodynamics, this report proposes a classification of swept-wing ice accretion into four groups based upon unique flowfield attributes. These four groups are: ice roughness, horn ice, streamwise ice and spanwise-ridge ice. In the case of horn ice it is shown that a further subclassification of "nominally 3D" or "highly 3D" horn ice may be necessary. For all of the proposed ice-shape classifications, relatively little is known about the three-dimensional flowfield and even less about the effect of Reynolds number and Mach number on these flowfields. The classifications and supporting data presented in this report can serve as a starting point as new research explores swept-wing aerodynamics with ice shapes. As further results are available, it is expected that these classifications will need to be updated and revised.

Optimal Spacecraft Attitude Control Using Aerodynamic Torques

Science.gov (United States)

2007-03-01

His design resembles a badminton shuttlecock and “uses passive aerodynamic drag torques to stabilize pitch and yaw” and active magnetic torque...Ravindran’s and Hughes’ ‘arrow-like’ design. Psiaki notes that “this arrow concept has been modified to become a badminton shuttlecock-type design...panels were placed to the rear of the center-of-mass, similar to a badminton shuttlecock, to provide passive stability about the pitch and yaw axes

Optimal Aerodynamic Design of Conventional and Coaxial Helicopter Rotors in Hover and Forward Flight

Science.gov (United States)

Giovanetti, Eli B.

This dissertation investigates the optimal aerodynamic performance and design of conventional and coaxial helicopters in hover and forward flight using conventional and higher harmonic blade pitch control. First, we describe a method for determining the blade geometry, azimuthal blade pitch inputs, optimal shaft angle (rotor angle of attack), and division of propulsive and lifting forces among the components that minimize the total power for a given forward flight condition. The optimal design problem is cast as a variational statement that is discretized using a vortex lattice wake to model inviscid forces, combined with two-dimensional drag polars to model profile losses. The resulting nonlinear constrained optimization problem is solved via Newton iteration. We investigate the optimal design of a compound vehicle in forward flight comprised of a coaxial rotor system, a propeller, and optionally, a fixed wing. We show that higher harmonic control substantially reduces required power, and that both rotor and propeller efficiencies play an important role in determining the optimal shaft angle, which in turn affects the optimal design of each component. Second, we present a variational approach for determining the optimal (minimum power) torque-balanced coaxial hovering rotor using Blade Element Momentum Theory including swirl. We show that the optimal hovering coaxial rotor generates only a small percentage of its total thrust on the portion of the lower rotor operating in the upper rotor's contracted wake, resulting in an optimal design with very different upper and lower rotor twist and chord distributions. We also show that the swirl component of induced velocity has a relatively small effect on rotor performance at the disk loadings typical of helicopter rotors. Third, we describe a more refined model of the wake of a hovering conventional or coaxial rotor. We approximate the rotor or coaxial rotors as actuator disks (though not necessarily uniformly loaded

Aerodynamic optimization of wind turbine rotors using a blade element momentum method with corrections for wake rotation and expansion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Døssing, Mads; Aagaard Madsen, Helge; Bak, Christian

2012-01-01

The blade element momentum (BEM) method is widely used for calculating the quasi-steady aerodynamics of horizontal axis wind turbines. Recently, the BEM method has been expanded to include corrections for wake expansion and the pressure due to wake rotation (), and more accurate solutions can now...... by the positive effect of wake rotation, which locally causes the efficiency to exceed the Betz limit. Wake expansion has a negative effect, which is most important at high tip speed ratios. It was further found that by using , it is possible to obtain a 5% reduction in flap bending moment when compared with BEM....... In short, allows fast aerodynamic calculations and optimizations with a much higher degree of accuracy than the traditional BEM model. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd....

Shape optimisation and performance analysis of flapping wings

KAUST Repository

Ghommem, Mehdi

2012-09-04

In this paper, shape optimisation of flapping wings in forward flight is considered. This analysis is performed by combining a local gradient-based optimizer with the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM). Although the UVLM applies only to incompressible, inviscid flows where the separation lines are known a priori, Persson et al. [1] showed through a detailed comparison between UVLM and higher-fidelity computational fluid dynamics methods for flapping flight that the UVLM schemes produce accurate results for attached flow cases and even remain trend-relevant in the presence of flow separation. As such, they recommended the use of an aerodynamic model based on UVLM to perform preliminary design studies of flapping wing vehicles Unlike standard computational fluid dynamics schemes, this method requires meshing of the wing surface only and not of the whole flow domain [2]. From the design or optimisation perspective taken in our work, it is fairly common (and sometimes entirely necessary, as a result of the excessive computational cost of the highest fidelity tools such as Navier-Stokes solvers) to rely upon such a moderate level of modelling fidelity to traverse the design space in an economical manner. The objective of the work, described in this paper, is to identify a set of optimised shapes that maximise the propulsive efficiency, defined as the ratio of the propulsive power over the aerodynamic power, under lift, thrust, and area constraints. The shape of the wings is modelled using B-splines, a technology used in the computer-aided design (CAD) field for decades. This basis can be used to smoothly discretize wing shapes with few degrees of freedom, referred to as control points. The locations of the control points constitute the design variables. The results suggest that changing the shape yields significant improvement in the performance of the flapping wings. The optimisation pushes the design to "bird-like" shapes with substantial increase in the time

Iron Pole Shape Optimization of IPM Motors Using an Integrated Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JABBARI, A.

2010-02-01

Full Text Available An iron pole shape optimization method to reduce cogging torque in Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM motors is developed by using the reduced basis technique coupled by finite element and design of experiments methods. Objective function is defined as the minimum cogging torque. The experimental design of Taguchi method is used to build the approximation model and to perform optimization. This method is demonstrated on the rotor pole shape optimization of a 4-poles/24-slots IPM motor.

Storage Policies and Optimal Shape of a Storage System

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zaerpour, N.; De Koster, René; Yu, Yugang

2013-01-01

The response time of a storage system is mainly influenced by its shape (configuration), the storage assignment and retrieval policies, and the location of the input/output (I/O) points. In this paper, we show that the optimal shape of a storage system, which minimises the response time for single

Aerodynamic design applying automatic differentiation and using robust variable fidelity optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Takemiya, Tetsushi

, and that (2) the AMF terminates optimization erroneously when the optimization problems have constraints. The first problem is due to inaccuracy in computing derivatives in the AMF, and the second problem is due to erroneous treatment of the trust region ratio, which sets the size of the domain for an optimization in the AMF. In order to solve the first problem of the AMF, automatic differentiation (AD) technique, which reads the codes of analysis models and automatically generates new derivative codes based on some mathematical rules, is applied. If derivatives are computed with the generated derivative code, they are analytical, and the required computational time is independent of the number of design variables, which is very advantageous for realistic aerospace engineering problems. However, if analysis models implement iterative computations such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which solves system partial differential equations iteratively, computing derivatives through the AD requires a massive memory size. The author solved this deficiency by modifying the AD approach and developing a more efficient implementation with CFD, and successfully applied the AD to general CFD software. In order to solve the second problem of the AMF, the governing equation of the trust region ratio, which is very strict against the violation of constraints, is modified so that it can accept the violation of constraints within some tolerance. By accepting violations of constraints during the optimization process, the AMF can continue optimization without terminating immaturely and eventually find the true optimum design point. With these modifications, the AMF is referred to as "Robust AMF," and it is applied to airfoil and wing aerodynamic design problems using Euler CFD software. The former problem has 21 design variables, and the latter 64. In both problems, derivatives computed with the proposed AD method are first compared with those computed with the finite

SU-E-T-295: Simultaneous Beam Sampling and Aperture Shape Optimization for Station Parameter Optimized Radiation Therapy (SPORT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zarepisheh, M; Li, R; Xing, L [Stanford UniversitySchool of Medicine, Stanford, CA (United States); Ye, Y [Stanford Univ, Management Science and Engineering, Stanford, Ca (United States); Boyd, S [Stanford University, Electrical Engineering, Stanford, CA (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: Station Parameter Optimized Radiation Therapy (SPORT) was recently proposed to fully utilize the technical capability of emerging digital LINACs, in which the station parameters of a delivery system, (such as aperture shape and weight, couch position/angle, gantry/collimator angle) are optimized altogether. SPORT promises to deliver unprecedented radiation dose distributions efficiently, yet there does not exist any optimization algorithm to implement it. The purpose of this work is to propose an optimization algorithm to simultaneously optimize the beam sampling and aperture shapes. Methods: We build a mathematical model whose variables are beam angles (including non-coplanar and/or even nonisocentric beams) and aperture shapes. To solve the resulting large scale optimization problem, we devise an exact, convergent and fast optimization algorithm by integrating three advanced optimization techniques named column generation, gradient method, and pattern search. Column generation is used to find a good set of aperture shapes as an initial solution by adding apertures sequentially. Then we apply the gradient method to iteratively improve the current solution by reshaping the aperture shapes and updating the beam angles toward the gradient. Algorithm continues by pattern search method to explore the part of the search space that cannot be reached by the gradient method. Results: The proposed technique is applied to a series of patient cases and significantly improves the plan quality. In a head-and-neck case, for example, the left parotid gland mean-dose, brainstem max-dose, spinal cord max-dose, and mandible mean-dose are reduced by 10%, 7%, 24% and 12% respectively, compared to the conventional VMAT plan while maintaining the same PTV coverage. Conclusion: Combined use of column generation, gradient search and pattern search algorithms provide an effective way to optimize simultaneously the large collection of station parameters and significantly improves

SU-E-T-295: Simultaneous Beam Sampling and Aperture Shape Optimization for Station Parameter Optimized Radiation Therapy (SPORT)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarepisheh, M; Li, R; Xing, L; Ye, Y; Boyd, S

2014-01-01

Purpose: Station Parameter Optimized Radiation Therapy (SPORT) was recently proposed to fully utilize the technical capability of emerging digital LINACs, in which the station parameters of a delivery system, (such as aperture shape and weight, couch position/angle, gantry/collimator angle) are optimized altogether. SPORT promises to deliver unprecedented radiation dose distributions efficiently, yet there does not exist any optimization algorithm to implement it. The purpose of this work is to propose an optimization algorithm to simultaneously optimize the beam sampling and aperture shapes. Methods: We build a mathematical model whose variables are beam angles (including non-coplanar and/or even nonisocentric beams) and aperture shapes. To solve the resulting large scale optimization problem, we devise an exact, convergent and fast optimization algorithm by integrating three advanced optimization techniques named column generation, gradient method, and pattern search. Column generation is used to find a good set of aperture shapes as an initial solution by adding apertures sequentially. Then we apply the gradient method to iteratively improve the current solution by reshaping the aperture shapes and updating the beam angles toward the gradient. Algorithm continues by pattern search method to explore the part of the search space that cannot be reached by the gradient method. Results: The proposed technique is applied to a series of patient cases and significantly improves the plan quality. In a head-and-neck case, for example, the left parotid gland mean-dose, brainstem max-dose, spinal cord max-dose, and mandible mean-dose are reduced by 10%, 7%, 24% and 12% respectively, compared to the conventional VMAT plan while maintaining the same PTV coverage. Conclusion: Combined use of column generation, gradient search and pattern search algorithms provide an effective way to optimize simultaneously the large collection of station parameters and significantly improves

Shape optimization and sensitivity of compliant beams for prescribed load-displacement response

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Radaelli, G.; Herder, J.L.

2016-01-01

This paper presents the shape optimization of a compliant beam for prescribed load-displacements response. The analysis of the design is based on the isogeometric analysis framework for an enhanced fidelity between designed and analysed shape. The sensitivities used for an improved optimization

The impact of aerodynamics on fuel consumption in railway applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan TARUS

2012-03-01

Full Text Available The main consequence of on air flow surrounding a moving train resides in the aerodynamic drag and a certain pressure distribution on the frontal and lateral surfaces of the vehicle. The actual value of the aerodynamic drag (if pre-determined may lead to a more accurate design of the whole locomotive power transmission. The aerodynamic drag may be estimated by using two specific experiments: the traction method and the free launch method. While the first one uses highly complex equipment, the second is easier to use due to the relative low number of devices required. The present work’s main goal is to illustrate the importance of aerodynamic design of the railway vehicles, as their performances are influenced by the aerodynamic drag. In order to illustrate the influence of the aerodynamic shape of o locomotive body, we have chosen the latest diesel model available on the local market, the Class 621 EGM locomotives, currently in service at the national passenger railway operator, CFR Călători SA.

Shape signature based on Ricci flow and optimal mass transportation

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Wei; Su, Zengyu; Zhang, Min; Zeng, Wei; Dai, Junfei; Gu, Xianfeng

2014-11-01

A shape signature based on surface Ricci flow and optimal mass transportation is introduced for the purpose of surface comparison. First, the surface is conformally mapped onto plane by Ricci flow, which induces a measure on the planar domain. Second, the unique optimal mass transport map is computed that transports the new measure to the canonical measure on the plane. The map is obtained by a convex optimization process. This optimal transport map encodes all the information of the Riemannian metric on the surface. The shape signature consists of the optimal transport map, together with the mean curvature, which can fully recover the original surface. The discrete theories of surface Ricci flow and optimal mass transportation are explained thoroughly. The algorithms are given in detail. The signature is tested on human facial surfaces with different expressions accquired by structured light 3-D scanner based on phase-shifting method. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency and efficacy of the method.

Inverse Diffusion Curves Using Shape Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Shuang; Durand, Fredo; Zheng, Changxi

2018-07-01

The inverse diffusion curve problem focuses on automatic creation of diffusion curve images that resemble user provided color fields. This problem is challenging since the 1D curves have a nonlinear and global impact on resulting color fields via a partial differential equation (PDE). We introduce a new approach complementary to previous methods by optimizing curve geometry. In particular, we propose a novel iterative algorithm based on the theory of shape derivatives. The resulting diffusion curves are clean and well-shaped, and the final image closely approximates the input. Our method provides a user-controlled parameter to regularize curve complexity, and generalizes to handle input color fields represented in a variety of formats.

New trends in shape optimization

CERN Document Server

Leugering, Günter

2015-01-01

This volume reflects “New Trends in Shape Optimization” and is based on a workshop of the same name organized at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg in September 2013. During the workshop senior mathematicians and young scientists alike presented their latest findings. The format of the meeting allowed fruitful discussions on challenging open problems, and triggered a number of new and spontaneous collaborations. As such, the idea was born to produce this book, each chapter of which was written by a workshop participant, often with a collaborator. The content of the individual chapters ranges from survey papers to original articles; some focus on the topics discussed at the Workshop, while others involve arguments outside its scope but which are no less relevant for the field today. As such, the book offers readers a balanced introduction to the emerging field of shape optimization.

Geometric optimal design of a magneto-rheological brake considering different shapes for the brake envelope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Q H; Lang, V T; Nguyen, N D; Choi, S B

2014-01-01

When designing a magneto-rheological brake (MRB), it is well known that the shape of the brake envelope significantly affects the performance characteristics of the brake. In this study, different shapes for the MR brake envelope, such as rectangular, polygonal or spline shape, are considered and the most suitable shape identified. MRBs with different envelope shapes are introduced followed by the derivation of the braking torque based on Bingham-plastic behavior of the magneto-rheological fluid (MRF). Optimization of the design of the MRB with different envelope shapes is then done. The optimization problem is to find the optimal value for the significant geometric dimensions of the MRB that can produce a certain required braking torque while the brake mass is minimized. A finite element analysis integrated with an optimization tool is employed to obtain optimal solutions for the MRBs. From the results, the most suitable shape for the brake envelope is identified and discussed with the reduction of mass. In addition, the results of the analysis are compared with the experimental results to verify the proposed optimal design characteristics. (paper)

Geometric optimal design of a magneto-rheological brake considering different shapes for the brake envelope

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Q. H.; Lang, V. T.; Nguyen, N. D.; Choi, S. B.

2014-01-01

When designing a magneto-rheological brake (MRB), it is well known that the shape of the brake envelope significantly affects the performance characteristics of the brake. In this study, different shapes for the MR brake envelope, such as rectangular, polygonal or spline shape, are considered and the most suitable shape identified. MRBs with different envelope shapes are introduced followed by the derivation of the braking torque based on Bingham-plastic behavior of the magneto-rheological fluid (MRF). Optimization of the design of the MRB with different envelope shapes is then done. The optimization problem is to find the optimal value for the significant geometric dimensions of the MRB that can produce a certain required braking torque while the brake mass is minimized. A finite element analysis integrated with an optimization tool is employed to obtain optimal solutions for the MRBs. From the results, the most suitable shape for the brake envelope is identified and discussed with the reduction of mass. In addition, the results of the analysis are compared with the experimental results to verify the proposed optimal design characteristics.

NASA Innovation Fund 2010 Project Elastically Shaped Future Air Vehicle Concept

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Nhan

2010-01-01

This report describes a study conducted in 2010 under the NASA Innovation Fund Award to develop innovative future air vehicle concepts. Aerodynamic optimization was performed to produce three different aircraft configuration concepts for low drag, namely drooped wing, inflected wing, and squashed fuselage. A novel wing shaping control concept is introduced. This concept describes a new capability of actively controlling wing shape in-flight to minimize drag. In addition, a novel flight control effector concept is developed to enable wing shaping control. This concept is called a variable camber continuous trailing edge flap that can reduce drag by as much as 50% over a conventional flap. In totality, the potential benefits of fuel savings offered by these concepts can be significant.

3-D Navier-Stokes Analysis of Blade Root Aerodynamics for a Tiltrotor Aircraft In Cruise

Science.gov (United States)

Romander, Ethan

2006-01-01

The blade root area of a tiltrotor aircraft's rotor is constrained by a great many factors, not the least of which is aerodynamic performance in cruise. For this study, Navier-Stokes CFD techniques are used to study the aerodynamic performance in cruise of a rotor design as a function of airfoil thickness along the blade and spinner shape. Reducing airfoil thickness along the entire blade will be shown to have the greatest effect followed by smaller but still significant improvements achieved by reducing the thickness of root airfoils only. Furthermore, altering the shape of the spinner will be illustrated as a tool to tune the aerodynamic performance very near the blade root.

Aerodynamic Benchmarking of the Deepwind Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedona, Gabriele; Schmidt Paulsen, Uwe; Aagaard Madsen, Helge

2015-01-01

The aerodynamic benchmarking for the DeepWind rotor is conducted comparing different rotor geometries and solutions and keeping the comparison as fair as possible. The objective for the benchmarking is to find the most suitable configuration in order to maximize the power production and minimize...... the blade solicitation and the cost of energy. Different parameters are considered for the benchmarking study. The DeepWind blade is characterized by a shape similar to the Troposkien geometry but asymmetric between the top and bottom parts: this shape is considered as a fixed parameter in the benchmarking...

Shape interior modeling and mass property optimization using ray-reps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Jun; Kramer, Lou; Westermann, Rüdiger

2016-01-01

, and prove this parametrization covers the optimal interior regarding static and rotational stability criteria. This compact formulation thoroughly reduces the number of design variables compared to the general volumetric element-wise formulation. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our reduced formulation......We present a novel method for the modeling and optimization of the material distribution inside 3D shapes, such that their 3D printed replicas satisfy prescribed constraints regarding mass properties. In particular, we introduce an extension of ray-representation to shape interior modeling...

Aerodynamic Optimization Design of a Multistage Centrifugal Steam Turbine and Its Off-Design Performance Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Centrifugal turbine which has less land occupation, simple structure, and high aerodynamic efficiency is suitable to be used as small to medium size steam turbines or waste heat recovery plant. In this paper, one-dimensional design of a multistage centrifugal steam turbine was performed by using in-house one-dimensional aerodynamic design program. In addition, three-dimensional numerical simulation was also performed in order to analyze design and off-design aerodynamic performance of the proposed centrifugal steam turbine. The results exhibit reasonable flow field and smooth streamline; the aerodynamic performance of the designed turbine meets our initial expectations. These results indicate that the one-dimensional aerodynamic design program is reliable and effective. The off-design aerodynamic performance of centrifugal steam turbine was analyzed, and the results show that the mass flow increases with the decrease of the pressure ratio at a constant speed, until the critical mass flow is reached. The efficiency curve with the pressure ratio has an optimum efficiency point. And the pressure ratio of the optimum efficiency agrees well with that of the one-dimensional design. The shaft power decreases as the pressure ratio increases at a constant speed. Overall, the centrifugal turbine has a wide range and good off-design aerodynamic performance.

Optimizing implosion yields using rugby-shaped hohlraums

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hye-Sook; Robey, H.; Amendt, P.; Philippe, F.; Casner, A.; Caillaud, T.; Bourgade, J.-L.; Landoas, O.; Li, C. K.; Petrasso, R.; Seguin, F.; Rosenberg, M.; Glebov, V. Yu.

2009-11-01

We present the first experimental results on optimizing capsule implosion experiments by using rugby-shaped hohlraums [1] on the Omega laser, University of Rochester. This campaign compared D2-filled capsule performance between standard cylindrical Au hohlraums and rugby-shaped hohlraums for demonstrating the energetics advantages of the rugby geometry. Not only did the rugby-shaped hohlraums show nearly 20% more x-ray drive energy over the cylindrical hohlraums, but also the high-performance design of the capsules provided nearly 20 times more DD neutrons than in any previous Omega hohlraum campaigns, thereby enabling use of neutron temporal diagnostics. Comparison with simulations on neutron burn histories, x-ray core imaging, backscattered laser light and radiation temperature are presented. [1] P. Amendt et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 012702 (2008)

Aerodynamic study of time-trial helmets in cycling racing using CFD analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaumont, F; Taiar, R; Polidori, G; Trenchard, H; Grappe, F

2018-01-23

The aerodynamic drag of three different time-trial cycling helmets was analyzed numerically for two different cyclist head positions. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods were used to investigate the detailed airflow patterns around the cyclist for a constant velocity of 15 m/s without wind. The CFD simulations have focused on the aerodynamic drag effects in terms of wall shear stress maps and pressure coefficient distributions on the cyclist/helmet system. For a given head position, the helmet shape, by itself, obtained a weak effect on a cyclist's aerodynamic performance (CFD results have also shown that both helmet shape and head position significantly influence drag forces, pressure and wall shear stress distributions on the whole cyclist's body due to the change in the near-wake behavior and in location of corresponding separation and attachment areas around the cyclist. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The influence of aerodynamic coefficients on the elements of classic projectile paths

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damir D. Jerković

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the results of the research on the influence of aerodynamic coefficient values on the trajectory elements and the stability parameters of classic axisymmetric projectiles. It presents the characteristic functions of aerodynamic coefficients with regard to aerodynamic parameters and the projectile body shape. The trajectory elements of the model of classic axisymmetric projectiles and the analyses of their changes were presented with respect to the aerodynamic coefficient values. Introduction Classic axisymmetric projectiles fly through atmosphere using muzzle velocity as initial energy resource, so the aerodynamic force and moment have the most significant influence on the motion of projectiles. The aerodynamic force and moment components represented as aerodynamic coefficients depend on motion velocity i. e. flow velocity, the flow features produced by projectile shape and position in the flow, and angular velocity (rate of the body. The functional dependence of aerodynamic coefficients on certain influential parameters, such as angle of attack and angular velocity components is expressed by the derivative of aerodynamic coefficients. The determination of aerodynamic coefficients and derivatives enables complete definition of the aerodynamic force and moment acting on the classic projectile. The projectile motion problem is considered in relation to defining the projectile stability parameters and the conditions under which the stability occurs. The comparative analyses of aerodynamic coefficient values obtained by numerical methods, semi empirical calculations and experimental research give preliminary evaluation of the quality of the determined values. The flight simulation of the motion of a classic axisymetric projectile, which has the shape defined by the aerodynamic coefficient values, enables the comparative analyses of the trajectory elements and stability characteristics. The model of the classic projectile

Adaptive feature selection using v-shaped binary particle swarm optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Xuyang; Dong, Hongbin; Zhou, Xiurong

2017-01-01

Feature selection is an important preprocessing method in machine learning and data mining. This process can be used not only to reduce the amount of data to be analyzed but also to build models with stronger interpretability based on fewer features. Traditional feature selection methods evaluate the dependency and redundancy of features separately, which leads to a lack of measurement of their combined effect. Moreover, a greedy search considers only the optimization of the current round and thus cannot be a global search. To evaluate the combined effect of different subsets in the entire feature space, an adaptive feature selection method based on V-shaped binary particle swarm optimization is proposed. In this method, the fitness function is constructed using the correlation information entropy. Feature subsets are regarded as individuals in a population, and the feature space is searched using V-shaped binary particle swarm optimization. The above procedure overcomes the hard constraint on the number of features, enables the combined evaluation of each subset as a whole, and improves the search ability of conventional binary particle swarm optimization. The proposed algorithm is an adaptive method with respect to the number of feature subsets. The experimental results show the advantages of optimizing the feature subsets using the V-shaped transfer function and confirm the effectiveness and efficiency of the feature subsets obtained under different classifiers.

Bat flight: aerodynamics, kinematics and flight morphology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hedenström, Anders; Johansson, L Christoffer

2015-03-01

Bats evolved the ability of powered flight more than 50 million years ago. The modern bat is an efficient flyer and recent research on bat flight has revealed many intriguing facts. By using particle image velocimetry to visualize wake vortices, both the magnitude and time-history of aerodynamic forces can be estimated. At most speeds the downstroke generates both lift and thrust, whereas the function of the upstroke changes with forward flight speed. At hovering and slow speed bats use a leading edge vortex to enhance the lift beyond that allowed by steady aerodynamics and an inverted wing during the upstroke to further aid weight support. The bat wing and its skeleton exhibit many features and control mechanisms that are presumed to improve flight performance. Whereas bats appear aerodynamically less efficient than birds when it comes to cruising flight, they have the edge over birds when it comes to manoeuvring. There is a direct relationship between kinematics and the aerodynamic performance, but there is still a lack of knowledge about how (and if) the bat controls the movements and shape (planform and camber) of the wing. Considering the relatively few bat species whose aerodynamic tracks have been characterized, there is scope for new discoveries and a need to study species representing more extreme positions in the bat morphospace. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Evolutionary Optimization of Centrifugal Nozzles for Organic Vapours

Science.gov (United States)

Persico, Giacomo

2017-03-01

This paper discusses the shape-optimization of non-conventional centrifugal turbine nozzles for Organic Rankine Cycle applications. The optimal aerodynamic design is supported by the use of a non-intrusive, gradient-free technique specifically developed for shape optimization of turbomachinery profiles. The method is constructed as a combination of a geometrical parametrization technique based on B-Splines, a high-fidelity and experimentally validated Computational Fluid Dynamic solver, and a surrogate-based evolutionary algorithm. The non-ideal gas behaviour featuring the flow of organic fluids in the cascades of interest is introduced via a look-up-table approach, which is rigorously applied throughout the whole optimization process. Two transonic centrifugal nozzles are considered, featuring very different loading and radial extension. The use of a systematic and automatic design method to such a non-conventional configuration highlights the character of centrifugal cascades; the blades require a specific and non-trivial definition of the shape, especially in the rear part, to avoid the onset of shock waves. It is shown that the optimization acts in similar way for the two cascades, identifying an optimal curvature of the blade that both provides a relevant increase of cascade performance and a reduction of downstream gradients.

The impact of size and shape of particles of undergrowth and herbs mixtures on aerodynamic properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marian Panasiewicz

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The impact of the size and shape of a selected group of herbs (dried juniper berries Juniperus communis, dry blueberries Vaccinium myrtillus, petals of cornflower Centaurea cyanus on the value of the volatility coefficient, the coefficient of sphericity and the critical speed was analysed in the presented research. A laboratory anemometer to measure the speed of air was used. The determination of the volatility coefficient of particular size fractions was conducted on the basis of critical speed values, calculated as an average established after five measurements. The established aerodynamic properties of particular mixtures allow the determination and the assessment of differences among fractions of valuable resources and different impurities. The presented data might constitute a basis to determine the scope of differences among them and establish interrelations which allow the application of proper parameters for the pneumatic separation process in practice.

Analytical optimal pulse shapes obtained with the aid of genetic algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guerrero, Rubén D.; Arango, Carlos A.; Reyes, Andrés

2015-01-01

We propose a methodology to design optimal pulses for achieving quantum optimal control on molecular systems. Our approach constrains pulse shapes to linear combinations of a fixed number of experimentally relevant pulse functions. Quantum optimal control is obtained by maximizing a multi-target fitness function using genetic algorithms. As a first application of the methodology, we generated an optimal pulse that successfully maximized the yield on a selected dissociation channel of a diatomic molecule. Our pulse is obtained as a linear combination of linearly chirped pulse functions. Data recorded along the evolution of the genetic algorithm contained important information regarding the interplay between radiative and diabatic processes. We performed a principal component analysis on these data to retrieve the most relevant processes along the optimal path. Our proposed methodology could be useful for performing quantum optimal control on more complex systems by employing a wider variety of pulse shape functions

Analytical optimal pulse shapes obtained with the aid of genetic algorithms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guerrero, Rubén D., E-mail: rdguerrerom@unal.edu.co [Department of Physics, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia); Arango, Carlos A. [Department of Chemical Sciences, Universidad Icesi, Cali (Colombia); Reyes, Andrés [Department of Chemistry, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia)

2015-09-28

We propose a methodology to design optimal pulses for achieving quantum optimal control on molecular systems. Our approach constrains pulse shapes to linear combinations of a fixed number of experimentally relevant pulse functions. Quantum optimal control is obtained by maximizing a multi-target fitness function using genetic algorithms. As a first application of the methodology, we generated an optimal pulse that successfully maximized the yield on a selected dissociation channel of a diatomic molecule. Our pulse is obtained as a linear combination of linearly chirped pulse functions. Data recorded along the evolution of the genetic algorithm contained important information regarding the interplay between radiative and diabatic processes. We performed a principal component analysis on these data to retrieve the most relevant processes along the optimal path. Our proposed methodology could be useful for performing quantum optimal control on more complex systems by employing a wider variety of pulse shape functions.

Wind Tunnel Testing on Crosswind Aerodynamic Forces Acting on Railway Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Hyeok-Bin; Nam, Seong-Won; You, Won-Hee

This study is devoted to measure the aerodynamic forces acting on two railway trains, one of which is a high-speed train at 300km/h maximum operation speed, and the other is a conventional train at the operating speed 100km/h. The three-dimensional train shapes have been modeled as detailed as possible including the inter-car, the upper cavity for pantograph, and the bogie systems. The aerodynamic forces on each vehicle of the trains have been measured in the subsonic wind tunnel with 4m×3m test section of Korea Aerospace Research Institute at Daejeon, Korea. The aerodynamic forces and moments of the train models have been plotted for various yaw angles and the characteristics of the aerodynamic coefficients has been discussed relating to the experimental conditions.

Multidisciplinary Aerodynamic Design of a Rotor Blade for an Optimum Rotor Speed Helicopter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiayi Xie

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The aerodynamic design of rotor blades is challenging, and is crucial for the development of helicopter technology. Previous aerodynamic optimizations that focused only on limited design points find it difficult to balance flight performance across the entire flight envelope. This study develops a global optimum envelope (GOE method for determining blade parameters—blade twist, taper ratio, tip sweep—for optimum rotor speed helicopters (ORS-helicopters, balancing performance improvements in hover and various freestream velocities. The GOE method implements aerodynamic blade design by a bi-level optimization, composed of a global optimization step and a secondary optimization step. Power loss as a measure of rotor performance is chosen as the objective function, referred to as direct power loss (DPL in this study. A rotorcraft comprehensive code for trim simulation with a prescribed wake method is developed. With the application of the GOE method, a DPL reduction of as high as 16.7% can be achieved in hover, and 24% at high freestream velocity.

Multi-objective shape optimization of runner blade for Kaplan turbine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Power machines LMZ, Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation))" data-affiliation=" (OJSC Power machines LMZ, Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation))" >Semenova, A; Power machines LMZ, Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation))" data-affiliation=" (OJSC Power machines LMZ, Saint Petersburg (Russian Federation))" >Pylev, I; Chirkov, D; Lyutov, A; Chemy, S; Skorospelov, V

2014-01-01

Automatic runner shape optimization based on extensive CFD analysis proved to be a useful design tool in hydraulic turbomachinery. Previously the authors developed an efficient method for Francis runner optimization. It was successfully applied to the design of several runners with different specific speeds. In present work this method is extended to the task of a Kaplan runner optimization. Despite of relatively simpler blade shape, Kaplan turbines have several features, complicating the optimization problem. First, Kaplan turbines normally operate in a wide range of discharges, thus CFD analysis of each variant of the runner should be carried out for several operation points. Next, due to a high specific speed, draft tube losses have a great impact on the overall turbine efficiency, and thus should be accurately evaluated. Then, the flow in blade tip and hub clearances significantly affects the velocity profile behind the runner and draft tube behavior. All these features are accounted in the present optimization technique. Parameterization of runner blade surface using 24 geometrical parameters is described in details. For each variant of runner geometry steady state three-dimensional turbulent flow computations are carried out in the domain, including wicket gate, runner, draft tube, blade tip and hub clearances. The objectives are maximization of efficiency in best efficiency and high discharge operation points, with simultaneous minimization of cavitation area on the suction side of the blade. Multiobjective genetic algorithm is used for the solution of optimization problem, requiring the analysis of several thousands of runner variants. The method is applied to optimization of runner shape for several Kaplan turbines with different heads

Multi-objective shape optimization of runner blade for Kaplan turbine

Science.gov (United States)

Semenova, A.; Chirkov, D.; Lyutov, A.; Chemy, S.; Skorospelov, V.; Pylev, I.

2014-03-01

Automatic runner shape optimization based on extensive CFD analysis proved to be a useful design tool in hydraulic turbomachinery. Previously the authors developed an efficient method for Francis runner optimization. It was successfully applied to the design of several runners with different specific speeds. In present work this method is extended to the task of a Kaplan runner optimization. Despite of relatively simpler blade shape, Kaplan turbines have several features, complicating the optimization problem. First, Kaplan turbines normally operate in a wide range of discharges, thus CFD analysis of each variant of the runner should be carried out for several operation points. Next, due to a high specific speed, draft tube losses have a great impact on the overall turbine efficiency, and thus should be accurately evaluated. Then, the flow in blade tip and hub clearances significantly affects the velocity profile behind the runner and draft tube behavior. All these features are accounted in the present optimization technique. Parameterization of runner blade surface using 24 geometrical parameters is described in details. For each variant of runner geometry steady state three-dimensional turbulent flow computations are carried out in the domain, including wicket gate, runner, draft tube, blade tip and hub clearances. The objectives are maximization of efficiency in best efficiency and high discharge operation points, with simultaneous minimization of cavitation area on the suction side of the blade. Multiobjective genetic algorithm is used for the solution of optimization problem, requiring the analysis of several thousands of runner variants. The method is applied to optimization of runner shape for several Kaplan turbines with different heads.

Laboratory transferability of optimally shaped laser pulses for quantum control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore Tibbetts, Katharine; Xing, Xi; Rabitz, Herschel

2014-01-01

Optimal control experiments can readily identify effective shaped laser pulses, or “photonic reagents,” that achieve a wide variety of objectives. An important additional practical desire is for photonic reagent prescriptions to produce good, if not optimal, objective yields when transferred to a different system or laboratory. Building on general experience in chemistry, the hope is that transferred photonic reagent prescriptions may remain functional even though all features of a shaped pulse profile at the sample typically cannot be reproduced exactly. As a specific example, we assess the potential for transferring optimal photonic reagents for the objective of optimizing a ratio of photoproduct ions from a family of halomethanes through three related experiments. First, applying the same set of photonic reagents with systematically varying second- and third-order chirp on both laser systems generated similar shapes of the associated control landscape (i.e., relation between the objective yield and the variables describing the photonic reagents). Second, optimal photonic reagents obtained from the first laser system were found to still produce near optimal yields on the second laser system. Third, transferring a collection of photonic reagents optimized on the first laser system to the second laser system reproduced systematic trends in photoproduct yields upon interaction with the homologous chemical family. These three transfers of photonic reagents are demonstrated to be successful upon paying reasonable attention to overall laser system characteristics. The ability to transfer photonic reagents from one laser system to another is analogous to well-established utilitarian operating procedures with traditional chemical reagents. The practical implications of the present results for experimental quantum control are discussed

Plasma shape experiments for an optimized tokamak

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyatt, A.W.; Osborne, T.H.; Lazarus, E.A.

1994-07-01

In this paper we present results from recent experiments at DIII-D which measured the plasma stability and confinement performance product, βτ E , in one previously studied and three new plasma shapes. One important goal of these experiments was to identify performance vs shape trends which would identify a shape compatible with both high performance and the planned effort to decrease the power flux to the divertor floor using a closed ''slot'' divertor geometry. power flux to the divertor floor using a closed ''slot'' divertor geometry. The closed divertor hardware must be designed for a reduced set of plasma shapes, so care must be taken to choose the shape that optimizes βτ E and divertor performance. The four shapes studied form a matrix of moderate and high elongations (κ congruent 1.8 and 2.1) and low and high triangularities (δ congruent 0.3 and 0.9). All configurations were double-null diverted (DND), held fixed during a shot, with neutral beam heating. The shapes span a range of X-point locations compatible with the envisioned closed divertor. We find that from shape to shape, a shot's transient normalized performance, β N H, where β N ≡ β/(I p )/aB T and H ≡ τ E /τ E ITER-89P , increases strongly with triangularity, but depends only weakly on elongation. However, the normalized performance during quasi stationary ELMing H-mode, to which these discharges eventually relax, is insensitive to both triangularity and elongation. The moderate elongation, high triangularity DND shape is shown to be near optimum for future studies on DIII-D

Plasma shape experiments for an optimized tokamak

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hyatt, A.W.; Osborne, T.H. [General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States); Lazarus, E.A. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)

1994-12-31

In this paper we present results from recent experiments at DIII-D which measured the plasma stability and confinement performance product, {beta}{sub {tau}E}, in one previously studied and three new plasma shapes. One important goal of these experiments was to identify performance vs shape trends which would identify a shape compatible with both high performance and the planned effort to decrease the power flux to the divertor floor using a closed `slot` divertor geometry. The closed divertor hardware must be designed for a reduced set of plasma shapes, so care must be taken to choose the shape that optimizes {beta}{sub {tau}E} and divertor performance. The four shapes studied form a matrix of moderate and high elongations ({kappa} {approx_equal} 1.8 and 2.1) and low and high triangularities ({delta} {approx_equal} 0.3 and 0.9). All configurations were double-null diverted (DND), held fixed during a shot, with neutral beam heating. The shapes span a range of X-point locations compatible with the envisioned closed divertor. We find that from shape to shape, a shot`s transient normalized performance, {beta}{sub N}H, where {beta}{sub N} = {beta}/(I{sub p}/aB{sub T}) and H = {tau}{sub E}/{tau}{sub E}{sup ITER-89P}, increases strongly with triangularity, but depends only weakly on elongation. However, the normalized performance during quasi stationary ELMing H-mode, to which these discharges eventually relax, is insensitive to both triangularity and elongation. The moderate elongation, high triangularity DND shape is shown to be near optimum for future studies on DIII-D. (author) 7 refs., 7 figs.

Aerodynamic analysis of the Darrieus rotor including secondary effects

Science.gov (United States)

Paraschivoiu, I.; Delclaux, F.; Fraunie, P.; Beguier, C.

1983-10-01

An aerodynamic analysis is made of two variants of the two-actuator-disk theory for modeling the Darrieus wind turbine. The double-multiple-streamtube model with constant and variable interference factors, including secondary effects, is examined for a Darrieus rotor. The influence of the secondary effects, namely, the blade geometry and profile type, the rotating tower, and the presence of struts and aerodynamic spoilers, is relatively significant, especially at high tip-speed ratios. Variation of the induced velocity as a function of the azimuthal angle allows a more accurate calculation of the aerodynamic loads on the downwind zone of the rotor with respect to the assumed constant interference factors. The theoretical results were compared with available experimental data for the Magdalen Islands wind turbine and Sandia-type machines (straight-line/circular-arc shape).

Urban Aerodynamic Roughness Length Mapping Using Multitemporal SAR Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fengli Zhang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aerodynamic roughness is very important to urban meteorological and climate studies. Radar remote sensing is considered to be an effective means for aerodynamic roughness retrieval because radar backscattering is sensitive to the surface roughness and geometric structure of a given target. In this paper, a methodology for aerodynamic roughness length estimation using SAR data in urban areas is introduced. The scale and orientation characteristics of backscattering of various targets in urban areas were firstly extracted and analyzed, which showed great potential of SAR data for urban roughness elements characterization. Then the ground truth aerodynamic roughness was calculated from wind gradient data acquired by the meteorological tower using fitting and iterative method. And then the optimal dimension of the upwind sector for the aerodynamic roughness calculation was determined through a correlation analysis between backscattering extracted from SAR data at various upwind sector areas and the aerodynamic roughness calculated from the meteorological tower data. Finally a quantitative relationship was set up to retrieve the aerodynamic roughness length from SAR data. Experiments based on ALOS PALSAR and COSMO-SkyMed data from 2006 to 2011 prove that the proposed methodology can provide accurate roughness length estimations for the spatial and temporal analysis of urban surface.

Robust buckling optimization of laminated composite structures using discrete material optimization considering “worst” shape imperfections

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henrichsen, Søren Randrup; Lindgaard, Esben; Lund, Erik

2015-01-01

Robust buckling optimal design of laminated composite structures is conducted in this work. Optimal designs are obtained by considering geometric imperfections in the optimization procedure. Discrete Material Optimization is applied to obtain optimal laminate designs. The optimal geometric...... imperfection is represented by the “worst” shape imperfection. The two optimization problems are combined through the recurrence optimization. Hereby the imperfection sensitivity of the considered structures can be studied. The recurrence optimization is demonstrated through a U-profile and a cylindrical panel...... example. The imperfection sensitivity of the optimized structure decreases during the recurrence optimization for both examples, hence robust buckling optimal structures are designed....

A Shape Optimization Study for Tool Design in Resistance Welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bogomolny, Michael; Bendsøe, Martin P.; Hattel, Jesper Henri

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to apply shape optimization tools for design of resistance welding electrodes. The numerical simulation of the welding process has been performed by a simplified FEM model implemented in COMSOL. The design process is formulated as an optimization problem where...... the objective is to prolong the life-time of the electrodes. Welding parameters like current, time and electrode shape parameters are selected to be the design variables while constraints are chosen to ensure a high quality of the welding. Surrogate models based on a Kriging approximation has been used in order...

A multilevel, level-set method for optimizing eigenvalues in shape design problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haber, E.

2004-01-01

In this paper, we consider optimal design problems that involve shape optimization. The goal is to determine the shape of a certain structure such that it is either as rigid or as soft as possible. To achieve this goal we combine two new ideas for an efficient solution of the problem. First, we replace the eigenvalue problem with an approximation by using inverse iteration. Second, we use a level set method but rather than propagating the front we use constrained optimization methods combined with multilevel continuation techniques. Combining these two ideas we obtain a robust and rapid method for the solution of the optimal design problem

A Multi-Point Method Considering the Maximum Power Point Tracking Dynamic Process for Aerodynamic Optimization of Variable-Speed Wind Turbine Blades

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhiqiang Yang

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Due to the dynamic process of maximum power point tracking (MPPT caused by turbulence and large rotor inertia, variable-speed wind turbines (VSWTs cannot maintain the optimal tip speed ratio (TSR from cut-in wind speed up to the rated speed. Therefore, in order to increase the total captured wind energy, the existing aerodynamic design for VSWT blades, which only focuses on performance improvement at a single TSR, needs to be improved to a multi-point design. In this paper, based on a closed-loop system of VSWTs, including turbulent wind, rotor, drive train and MPPT controller, the distribution of operational TSR and its description based on inflow wind energy are investigated. Moreover, a multi-point method considering the MPPT dynamic process for the aerodynamic optimization of VSWT blades is proposed. In the proposed method, the distribution of operational TSR is obtained through a dynamic simulation of the closed-loop system under a specific turbulent wind, and accordingly the multiple design TSRs and the corresponding weighting coefficients in the objective function are determined. Finally, using the blade of a National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL 1.5 MW wind turbine as the baseline, the proposed method is compared with the conventional single-point optimization method using the commercial software Bladed. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Irregular Shaped Building Design Optimization with Building Information Modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Xia Sheng

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This research is to recognise the function of Building Information Modelling (BIM in design optimization for irregular shaped buildings. The study focuses on a conceptual irregular shaped “twisted” building design similar to some existing sculpture-like architectures. Form and function are the two most important aspects of new buildings, which are becoming more sophisticated as parts of equally sophisticated “systems” that we are living in. Nowadays, it is common to have irregular shaped or sculpture-like buildings which are very different when compared to regular buildings. Construction industry stakeholders are facing stiff challenges in many aspects such as buildability, cost effectiveness, delivery time and facility management when dealing with irregular shaped building projects. Building Information Modelling (BIM is being utilized to enable architects, engineers and constructors to gain improved visualization for irregular shaped buildings; this has a purpose of identifying critical issues before initiating physical construction work. In this study, three variations of design options differing in rotating angle: 30 degrees, 60 degrees and 90 degrees are created to conduct quantifiable comparisons. Discussions are focused on three major aspects including structural planning, usable building space, and structural constructability. This research concludes that Building Information Modelling is instrumental in facilitating design optimization for irregular shaped building. In the process of comparing different design variations, instead of just giving “yes or no” type of response, stakeholders can now easily visualize, evaluate and decide to achieve the right balance based on their own criteria. Therefore, construction project stakeholders are empowered with superior evaluation and decision making capability.

A simple boundary element formulation for shape optimization of 2D continuous structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luciano Mendes Bezerra; Jarbas de Carvalho Santos Junior; Arlindo Pires Lopes; Andre Luiz; Souza, A.C.

2005-01-01

For the design of nuclear equipment like pressure vessels, steam generators, and pipelines, among others, it is very important to optimize the shape of the structural systems to withstand prescribed loads such as internal pressures and prescribed or limiting referential values such as stress or strain. In the literature, shape optimization of frame structural systems is commonly found but the same is not true for continuous structural systems. In this work, the Boundary Element Method (BEM) is applied to simple problems of shape optimization of 2D continuous structural systems. The proposed formulation is based on the BEM and on deterministic optimization methods of zero and first order such as Powell's, Conjugate Gradient, and BFGS methods. Optimal characterization for the geometric configuration of 2D structure is obtained with the minimization of an objective function. Such function is written in terms of referential values (such as loads, stresses, strains or deformations) prescribed at few points inside or at the boundary of the structure. The use of the BEM for shape optimization of continuous structures is attractive compared to other methods that discretized the whole continuous. Several numerical examples of the application of the proposed formulation to simple engineering problems are presented. (authors)

Aerodynamic Optimization Design of a Multistage Centrifugal Steam Turbine and Its Off-Design Performance Analysis

OpenAIRE

Hui Li; Dian-Gui Huang

2017-01-01

Centrifugal turbine which has less land occupation, simple structure, and high aerodynamic efficiency is suitable to be used as small to medium size steam turbines or waste heat recovery plant. In this paper, one-dimensional design of a multistage centrifugal steam turbine was performed by using in-house one-dimensional aerodynamic design program. In addition, three-dimensional numerical simulation was also performed in order to analyze design and off-design aerodynamic performance of the pro...

Noise aspects at aerodynamic blade optimisation projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schepers, J.G. [Netherlands Energy Research Foundation, Petten (Netherlands)

1997-12-31

This paper shows an example of an aerodynamic blade optimisation, using the program PVOPT. PVOPT calculates the optimal wind turbine blade geometry such that the maximum energy yield is obtained. Using the aerodynamic optimal blade design as a basis, the possibilities of noise reduction are investigated. The aerodynamic optimised geometry from PVOPT is the `real` optimum (up to the latest decimal). The most important conclusion from this study is, that it is worthwhile to investigate the behaviour of the objective function (in the present case the energy yield) around the optimum: If the optimum is flat, there is a possibility to apply modifications to the optimum configuration with only a limited loss in energy yield. It is obvious that the modified configurations emits a different (and possibly lower) noise level. In the BLADOPT program (the successor of PVOPT) it will be possible to quantify the noise level and hence to assess the reduced noise emission more thoroughly. At present the most promising approaches for noise reduction are believed to be a reduction of the rotor speed (if at all possible), and a reduction of the tip angle by means of low lift profiles, or decreased twist at the outboard stations. These modifications were possible without a significant loss in energy yield. (LN)

Aerodynamic benchmarking of the DeepWind design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bedon, Gabriele; Schmidt Paulsen, Uwe; Aagaard Madsen, Helge

The aerodynamic benchmarking for the DeepWind rotor is conducted comparing different rotor geometries and solutions and keeping the comparison as fair as possible. The objective for the benchmarking is to find the most suitable configuration in order to maximize the power production and minimize...... the blade solicitation and the cost of energy. Different parameters are considered for the benchmarking study. The DeepWind blade is characterized by a shape similar to the Troposkien geometry but asymmetric between the top and bottom parts. The blade shape is considered as a fixed parameter...

Topology and boundary shape optimization as an integrated design tool

Science.gov (United States)

Bendsoe, Martin Philip; Rodrigues, Helder Carrico

1990-01-01

The optimal topology of a two dimensional linear elastic body can be computed by regarding the body as a domain of the plane with a high density of material. Such an optimal topology can then be used as the basis for a shape optimization method that computes the optimal form of the boundary curves of the body. This results in an efficient and reliable design tool, which can be implemented via common FEM mesh generator and CAD type input-output facilities.

A Predictive Framework to Elucidate Venous Stenosis: CFD & Shape Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Javid Mahmoudzadeh Akherat, S M; Cassel, Kevin; Boghosian, Michael; Hammes, Mary; Coe, Fredric

2017-07-01

The surgical creation of vascular accesses for renal failure patients provides an abnormally high flow rate conduit in the patient's upper arm vasculature that facilitates the hemodialysis treatment. These vascular accesses, however, are very often associated with complications that lead to access failure and thrombotic incidents, mainly due to excessive neointimal hyperplasia (NH) and subsequently stenosis. Development of a framework to monitor and predict the evolution of the venous system post access creation can greatly contribute to maintaining access patency. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has been exploited to inspect the non-homeostatic wall shear stress (WSS) distribution that is speculated to trigger NH in the patient cohort under investigation. Thereafter, CFD in liaison with a gradient-free shape optimization method has been employed to analyze the deformation modes of the venous system enduring non-physiological hemodynamics. It is observed that the optimally evolved shapes and their corresponding hemodynamics strive to restore the homeostatic state of the venous system to a normal, pre-surgery condition. It is concluded that a CFD-shape optimization coupling that seeks to regulate the WSS back to a well-defined physiological WSS target range can accurately predict the mode of patient-specific access failure.

Methods for the design and optimization of shaped tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haney, S.W.

1988-05-01

Two major questions associated with the design and optimization of shaped tokamaks are considered. How do physics and engineering constraints affect the design of shaped tokamaks? How can the process of designing shaped tokamaks be improved? The first question is addressed with the aid of a completely analytical procedure for optimizing the design of a resistive-magnet tokamak reactor. It is shown that physics constraints---particularly the MHD beta limits and the Murakami density limit---have an enormous, and sometimes, unexpected effect on the final design. The second question is addressed through the development of a series of computer models for calculating plasma equilibria, estimating poloidal field coil currents, and analyzing axisymmetric MHD stability in the presence of resistive conductors and feedback. The models offer potential advantages over conventional methods since they are characterized by extremely fast computer execution times, simplicity, and robustness. Furthermore, evidence is presented that suggests that very little loss of accuracy is required to achieve these desirable features. 94 refs., 66 figs., 14 tabs

Rotor Pole Shape Optimization of Permanent Magnet Brushless DC Motors Using the Reduced Basis Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

GHOLAMIAN, A. S.

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a magnet shape optimization method for reduction of cogging torque and torque ripple in Permanent Magnet (PM brushless DC motors is presented by using the reduced basis technique coupled by finite element and design of experiments methods. The primary objective of the method is to reduce the enormous number of design variables required to define the magnet shape. The reduced basis technique is a weighted combination of several basis shapes. The aim of the method is to find the best combination using the weights for each shape as the design variables. A multi-level design process is developed to find suitable basis shapes or trial shapes at each level that can be used in the reduced basis technique. Each level is treated as a separated optimization problem until the required objective is achieved. The experimental design of Taguchi method is used to build the approximation model and to perform optimization. This method is demonstrated on the magnet shape optimization of a 6-poles/18-slots PM BLDC motor.

The effect of variations in first- and second-order derivatives on airfoil aerodynamic performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Penghui Yi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The geometric factors which influence airfoil aerodynamic performance are attributed to variations in local first- and second-order curvature derivatives. Based on a self-developed computational fluid dynamics (CFD program called UCFD, the influence of local profile variations on airfoil aerodynamic performance in different pressure areas is investigated. The results show that variations in first- and second-order derivatives of the airfoil profiles can cause fluctuations in airfoil aerodynamic performance. The greater the variation in local first- and second-order derivatives, the greater the fluctuation amplitude of the airfoil aerodynamic coefficients. Moreover, at the area near the leading edge and the shock-wave position, the surface pressure is more sensitive to changes in first- and second-order derivatives. These results provide a reference for airfoil aerodynamic shape design.

Combined shape and topology optimization of 3D structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Asger Nyman; Bærentzen, Jakob Andreas; Nobel-Jørgensen, Morten

2015-01-01

We present a method for automatic generation of 3D models based on shape and topology optimization. The optimization procedure, or model generation process, is initialized by a set of boundary conditions, an objective function, constraints and an initial structure. Using this input, the method...... will automatically deform and change the topology of the initial structure such that the objective function is optimized subject to the specified constraints and boundary conditions. For example, this tool can be used to improve the stiffness of a structure before printing, reduce the amount of material needed...

Meeting the challenges with the Douglas Aircraft Company Aeroelastic Design Optimization Program (ADOP)

Science.gov (United States)

Rommel, Bruce A.

1989-01-01

An overview of the Aeroelastic Design Optimization Program (ADOP) at the Douglas Aircraft Company is given. A pilot test program involving the animation of mode shapes with solid rendering as well as wire frame displays, a complete aircraft model of a high-altitude hypersonic aircraft to test ADOP procedures, a flap model, and an aero-mesh modeler for doublet lattice aerodynamics are discussed.

Aero-thermal optimization of in-flight electro-thermal ice protection systems in transient de-icing mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pourbagian, Mahdi; Habashi, Wagdi G.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We introduce an efficient methodology for the optimization of a de-icing system. • We can replace the expensive CHT simulation by ROM without loosing much accuracy. • We propose different criteria affecting the energy usage and aerodynamic performance. • These criteria can significantly improve the performance of the de-icing system. - Abstract: Even if electro-thermal ice protection systems (IPS) consume less energy when operating in de-icing mode than in anti-icing mode, they still need to be optimized for energy usage. The optimization, however, should also take into account the effect of the de-icing system on the aerodynamic performance. The present work offers an optimization framework in which both thermal and aerodynamic viewpoints are taken into account in formulating various objective and constraint functions by considering the energy consumption, the thickness, the volume, the shape and the location of the accreted ice on the surface as the key parameters affecting the energy usage and the aerodynamic performance. The design variables include the power density and the activation time of the electric heating blankets. A derivative-free technique, called the mesh adaptive direct search (MADS) method, is used to carry out the optimization process, which would normally need a large number of unsteady conjugate heat transfer (CHT) calculations for the IPS simulation. To avoid such prohibitive computations, reduced-order modeling (ROM) is used to construct simplified low-dimensional CHT models. The approach is illustrated through several test cases, in which different combinations of objective and constraint functions, design variables and cycling sequence patterns are examined. In these test cases, the energy consumption is significantly reduced compared to the experiments by improving the spatial and temporal distribution of the thermal energy usage. The results show the benefits of the approach in bringing energy, safety and

Geometrical shape optimization of a cold neutron source using artificial intelligence strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azmy, Y.Y.

1989-01-01

A new approach is developed for optimizing the geometrical shape of a cold neutron source to maximize its cold neutron outward leakage. An analogy is drawn between the shape optimization problem and a state space search, which is the fundamental problem in Artificial Intelligence applications. The new optimization concept is implemented in the computer code DAIT in which the physical model is represented by a two group, r-z geometry nodal diffusion method, and the state space search is conducted via the Nearest Neighbor algorithm. The accuracy of the nodal diffusion method solution is established on meshes of interest, and is shown to behave qualitatively the same as transport theory solutions. The dependence of the optimum shape and its value on several physical and search parameters is examined via numerical experimentation. 10 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs

Aerodynamic Reconstruction Applied to Parachute Test Vehicle Flight Data Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Cassady, Leonard D.; Ray, Eric S.; Truong, Tuan H.

2013-01-01

The aerodynamics, both static and dynamic, of a test vehicle are critical to determining the performance of the parachute cluster in a drop test and for conducting a successful test. The Capsule Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) project is conducting tests of NASA's Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) parachutes at the Army Yuma Proving Ground utilizing the Parachute Test Vehicle (PTV). The PTV shape is based on the MPCV, but the height has been reduced in order to fit within the C-17 aircraft for extraction. Therefore, the aerodynamics of the PTV are similar, but not the same as, the MPCV. A small series of wind tunnel tests and computational fluid dynamics cases were run to modify the MPCV aerodynamic database for the PTV, but aerodynamic reconstruction of the flights has proven an effective source for further improvements to the database. The acceleration and rotational rates measured during free flight, before parachute inflation but during deployment, were used to con rm vehicle static aerodynamics. A multibody simulation is utilized to reconstruct the parachute portions of the flight. Aerodynamic or parachute parameters are adjusted in the simulation until the prediction reasonably matches the flight trajectory. Knowledge of the static aerodynamics is critical in the CPAS project because the parachute riser load measurements are scaled based on forebody drag. PTV dynamic damping is critical because the vehicle has no reaction control system to maintain attitude - the vehicle dynamics must be understood and modeled correctly before flight. It will be shown here that aerodynamic reconstruction has successfully contributed to the CPAS project.

Aerodynamic resistance reduction of electric and hybrid vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

1979-01-01

The generation of an EHV aerodynamic data base was initiated by conducting full-scale wind tunnel tests on 16 vehicles. Zero-yaw drag coefficients ranged from a high of 0.58 for a boxey delivery van and an open roadster to a low of about 0.34 for a current 4-passenger prototype automobile which was designed with aerodynamics as an integrated parameter. Characteristic effects of aspect ratio or fineness ratio which might appear if electric vehicle shape proportions were to vary significantly from current automobiles were identified. Some preliminary results indicate a 5 to 10% variation in drag over the range of interest. Effective drag coefficient wind-weighting factors over J227a driving cycles in the presence of annual mean wind fields were identified. Such coefficients, when properly weighted, were found to be from 5 to 65% greater than the zero-yaw drag coefficient in the cases presented. A vehicle aerodynamics bibliography of over 160 entries, in six general categories is included.

Optimization and design of an aircraft’s morphing wing-tip demonstrator for drag reduction at low speed, Part I – Aerodynamic optimization using genetic, bee colony and gradient descent algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea Koreanschi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm is described and applied to an optimization problem for improving the aerodynamic performances of an aircraft wing tip through upper surface morphing. The algorithm’s performances were studied from the convergence point of view, in accordance with design conditions. The algorithm was compared to two other optimization methods, namely the artificial bee colony and a gradient method, for two optimization objectives, and the results of the optimizations with each of the three methods were plotted on response surfaces obtained with the Monte Carlo method, to show that they were situated in the global optimum region. The optimization results for 16 wind tunnel test cases and 2 objective functions were presented. The 16 cases used for the optimizations were included in the experimental test plan for the morphing wing-tip demonstrator, and the results obtained using the displacements given by the optimizations were evaluated.

Design optimization and analysis of vertical axis wind turbine blade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarral, A.; Ali, M.; Sahir, M.H.

2013-01-01

Wind energy is clean and renwable source of energy and is also the world's fastest growing energy resource. Keeping in view power shortages and growing cost of energy, the low cost wind energy has become a primary solution. It is imperative that economies and individuals begin to conserve energy and focus on the production of energy from renewable sources. Present study describes a wind turbine blade designed with enhanced aerodynamic properties. Vertical axis turbine is chosen because of its easy installment, less noisy and having environmental friendly characteristics. Vertical axis wind turbines are thought to be ideal for installations where wind conditions are not consistent. The presented turbine blade is best suitable for roadsides where the rated speed due to vehicles is most /sup -1/ often 8 ms .To get an optimal shape design symmetrical profile NACA0025 has been considered which is then analyzed for stability and aerodynamic characteristics at optimal conditions using analysis tools ANSYS and CFD tools. (author)

Aerodynamic and sound intensity measurements in tracheoesophageal voice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grolman, Wilko; Eerenstein, Simone E. J.; Tan, Frédérique M. L.; Tange, Rinze A.; Schouwenburg, Paul F.

2007-01-01

BACKGROUND: In laryngectomized patients, tracheoesophageal voice generally provides a better voice quality than esophageal voice. Understanding the aerodynamics of voice production in patients with a voice prosthesis is important for optimizing prosthetic designs and successful voice rehabilitation.

Fin shape thermal optimization using Bejan's constuctal theory

CERN Document Server

Lorenzini, Giulio

2011-01-01

The book contains research results obtained by applying Bejan's Constructal Theory to the study and therefore the optimization of fins, focusing on T-shaped and Y-shaped ones. Heat transfer from finned surfaces is an example of combined heat transfer natural or forced convection on the external parts of the fin, and conducting along the fin. Fin's heat exchange is rather complex, because of variation of both temperature along the fin and convective heat transfer coefficient. Furthermore possible presence of more fins invested by the same fluid flow has to be considered.Classical fin theory tri

Improved Genetic Algorithm with Two-Level Approximation for Truss Optimization by Using Discrete Shape Variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shen-yan Chen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an Improved Genetic Algorithm with Two-Level Approximation (IGATA to minimize truss weight by simultaneously optimizing size, shape, and topology variables. On the basis of a previously presented truss sizing/topology optimization method based on two-level approximation and genetic algorithm (GA, a new method for adding shape variables is presented, in which the nodal positions are corresponding to a set of coordinate lists. A uniform optimization model including size/shape/topology variables is established. First, a first-level approximate problem is constructed to transform the original implicit problem to an explicit problem. To solve this explicit problem which involves size/shape/topology variables, GA is used to optimize individuals which include discrete topology variables and shape variables. When calculating the fitness value of each member in the current generation, a second-level approximation method is used to optimize the continuous size variables. With the introduction of shape variables, the original optimization algorithm was improved in individual coding strategy as well as GA execution techniques. Meanwhile, the update strategy of the first-level approximation problem was also improved. The results of numerical examples show that the proposed method is effective in dealing with the three kinds of design variables simultaneously, and the required computational cost for structural analysis is quite small.

Status report on the Aeronautical Research Institute of Sweden version of the missile aerodynamics program LARV, for calculation of static aerodynamic properties and longitudinal aerodynamic damping derivatives. Part 1: Theory

Science.gov (United States)

Weibust, E.

Improvements to a missile aerodynamics program which enable it to (a) calculate aerodynamic coefficients as input for a flight mechanics model, (b) check manufacturers' data or estimate performance from photographs, (c) reduce wind tunnel testing, and (d) aid optimization studies, are discussed. Slender body theory is used for longitudinal damping derivatives prediction. Program predictions were compared to known values. Greater accuracy is required in the estimation of drag due to excrescences on actual missile configurations, the influence of a burning motor, and nonlinear effects in the stall region. Prediction of pressure centers on wings and on bodies in presence of wings must be improved.

Airfoil Shape Optimization based on Surrogate Model

Science.gov (United States)

Mukesh, R.; Lingadurai, K.; Selvakumar, U.

2018-02-01

Engineering design problems always require enormous amount of real-time experiments and computational simulations in order to assess and ensure the design objectives of the problems subject to various constraints. In most of the cases, the computational resources and time required per simulation are large. In certain cases like sensitivity analysis, design optimisation etc where thousands and millions of simulations have to be carried out, it leads to have a life time of difficulty for designers. Nowadays approximation models, otherwise called as surrogate models (SM), are more widely employed in order to reduce the requirement of computational resources and time in analysing various engineering systems. Various approaches such as Kriging, neural networks, polynomials, Gaussian processes etc are used to construct the approximation models. The primary intention of this work is to employ the k-fold cross validation approach to study and evaluate the influence of various theoretical variogram models on the accuracy of the surrogate model construction. Ordinary Kriging and design of experiments (DOE) approaches are used to construct the SMs by approximating panel and viscous solution algorithms which are primarily used to solve the flow around airfoils and aircraft wings. The method of coupling the SMs with a suitable optimisation scheme to carryout an aerodynamic design optimisation process for airfoil shapes is also discussed.

Simulation on a car interior aerodynamic noise control based on statistical energy analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xin; Wang, Dengfeng; Ma, Zhengdong

2012-09-01

How to simulate interior aerodynamic noise accurately is an important question of a car interior noise reduction. The unsteady aerodynamic pressure on body surfaces is proved to be the key effect factor of car interior aerodynamic noise control in high frequency on high speed. In this paper, a detail statistical energy analysis (SEA) model is built. And the vibra-acoustic power inputs are loaded on the model for the valid result of car interior noise analysis. The model is the solid foundation for further optimization on car interior noise control. After the most sensitive subsystems for the power contribution to car interior noise are pointed by SEA comprehensive analysis, the sound pressure level of car interior aerodynamic noise can be reduced by improving their sound and damping characteristics. The further vehicle testing results show that it is available to improve the interior acoustic performance by using detailed SEA model, which comprised by more than 80 subsystems, with the unsteady aerodynamic pressure calculation on body surfaces and the materials improvement of sound/damping properties. It is able to acquire more than 2 dB reduction on the central frequency in the spectrum over 800 Hz. The proposed optimization method can be looked as a reference of car interior aerodynamic noise control by the detail SEA model integrated unsteady computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and sensitivity analysis of acoustic contribution.

Aerodynamic potpourri

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, R. E.

1981-01-01

Aerodynamic developments for vertical axis and horizontal axis wind turbines are given that relate to the performance and aerodynamic loading of these machines. Included are: (1) a fixed wake aerodynamic model of the Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine; (2) experimental results that suggest the existence of a laminar flow Darrieus vertical axis turbine; (3) a simple aerodynamic model for the turbulent windmill/vortex ring state of horizontal axis rotors; and (4) a yawing moment of a rigid hub horizontal axis wind turbine that is related to blade coning.

Design and manufacturing of skins based on composite corrugated laminates for morphing aerodynamic surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Airoldi, Alessandro; Fournier, Stephane; Borlandelli, Elena; Bettini, Paolo; Sala, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

The paper discusses the approaches for the design and manufacturing of morphing skins based on rectangular-shaped composite corrugated laminates and proposes a novel solution to prevent detrimental effects of corrugation on aerodynamic performances. Additionally, more complex corrugated shapes are presented and analysed. The manufacturing issues related to the production of corrugated laminates are discussed and tests are performed to compare different solutions and to assess the validity of analytical and numerical predictions. The solution presented to develop an aerodynamically efficient skin consists in the integration of an elastomeric cover in the corrugated laminate. The related manufacturing process is presented and assessed, and a fully nonlinear numerical model is developed and characterized to study the behaviour of this skin concept in different load conditions. Finally, configurations based on combinations of individual rectangular-shaped corrugated panels are considered. Their structural properties are numerically investigated by varying geometrical parameters. Performance indices are defined to compare structural stiffness contributions in non-morphing directions with the ones of conventional panels of the same weight. Numerical studies also show that the extension of the concept to complex corrugated shapes may improve both the design flexibility and some specific performances with respect to rectangular shaped corrugations. The overall results validate the design approaches and manufacturing processes to produce corrugated laminates and indicate that the solution for the integration of an elastomeric cover is a feasible and promising method to enhance the aerodynamic efficiency of corrugated skins.

Shape optimization of high power centrifugal compressor using multi-objective optimal method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Hyun Soo; Lee, Jeong Min; Kim, Youn Jea [School of Mechanical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-03-15

In this study, a method for optimal design of impeller and diffuser blades in the centrifugal compressor using response surface method (RSM) and multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) was evaluated. A numerical simulation was conducted using ANSYS CFX with various values of impeller and diffuser parameters, which consist of leading edge (LE) angle, trailing edge (TE) angle, and blade thickness. Each of the parameters was divided into three levels. A total of 45 design points were planned using central composite design (CCD), which is one of the design of experiment (DOE) techniques. Response surfaces that were generated on the basis of the results of DOE were used to determine the optimal shape of impeller and diffuser blade. The entire process of optimization was conducted using ANSYS Design Xplorer (DX). Through the optimization, isentropic efficiency and pressure recovery coefficient, which are the main performance parameters of the centrifugal compressor, were increased by 0.3 and 5, respectively.

Shape optimization of high power centrifugal compressor using multi-objective optimal method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Hyun Soo; Lee, Jeong Min; Kim, Youn Jea

2015-01-01

In this study, a method for optimal design of impeller and diffuser blades in the centrifugal compressor using response surface method (RSM) and multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) was evaluated. A numerical simulation was conducted using ANSYS CFX with various values of impeller and diffuser parameters, which consist of leading edge (LE) angle, trailing edge (TE) angle, and blade thickness. Each of the parameters was divided into three levels. A total of 45 design points were planned using central composite design (CCD), which is one of the design of experiment (DOE) techniques. Response surfaces that were generated on the basis of the results of DOE were used to determine the optimal shape of impeller and diffuser blade. The entire process of optimization was conducted using ANSYS Design Xplorer (DX). Through the optimization, isentropic efficiency and pressure recovery coefficient, which are the main performance parameters of the centrifugal compressor, were increased by 0.3 and 5, respectively

PyFly: A fast, portable aerodynamics simulator

KAUST Repository

Garcia, D.; Ghommem, M.; Collier, N.; Varga, B.O.N.; Calo, V.M.

2018-01-01

We present a fast, user-friendly implementation of a potential flow solver based on the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM), namely PyFly. UVLM computes the aerodynamic loads applied on lifting surfaces while capturing the unsteady effects such as the added mass forces, the growth of bound circulation, and the wake while assuming that the flow separation location is known a priori. This method is based on discretizing the body surface into a lattice of vortex rings and relies on the Biot–Savart law to construct the velocity field at every point in the simulated domain. We introduce the pointwise approximation approach to simulate the interactions of the far-field vortices to overcome the computational burden associated with the classical implementation of UVLM. The computational framework uses the Python programming language to provide an easy to handle user interface while the computational kernels are written in Fortran. The mixed language approach enables high performance regarding solution time and great flexibility concerning easiness of code adaptation to different system configurations and applications. The computational tool predicts the unsteady aerodynamic behavior of multiple moving bodies (e.g., flapping wings, rotating blades, suspension bridges) subject to incoming air. The aerodynamic simulator can also deal with enclosure effects, multi-body interactions, and B-spline representation of body shapes. We simulate different aerodynamic problems to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of PyFly.

PyFly: A fast, portable aerodynamics simulator

KAUST Repository

Garcia, D.

2018-03-18

We present a fast, user-friendly implementation of a potential flow solver based on the unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM), namely PyFly. UVLM computes the aerodynamic loads applied on lifting surfaces while capturing the unsteady effects such as the added mass forces, the growth of bound circulation, and the wake while assuming that the flow separation location is known a priori. This method is based on discretizing the body surface into a lattice of vortex rings and relies on the Biot–Savart law to construct the velocity field at every point in the simulated domain. We introduce the pointwise approximation approach to simulate the interactions of the far-field vortices to overcome the computational burden associated with the classical implementation of UVLM. The computational framework uses the Python programming language to provide an easy to handle user interface while the computational kernels are written in Fortran. The mixed language approach enables high performance regarding solution time and great flexibility concerning easiness of code adaptation to different system configurations and applications. The computational tool predicts the unsteady aerodynamic behavior of multiple moving bodies (e.g., flapping wings, rotating blades, suspension bridges) subject to incoming air. The aerodynamic simulator can also deal with enclosure effects, multi-body interactions, and B-spline representation of body shapes. We simulate different aerodynamic problems to illustrate the usefulness and effectiveness of PyFly.

Shape optimization of metal forming and forging products using the stress equivalent static loads calculated from a virtual model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Hwan Hak; Jeong, Seong Beom; Park, Gyung Jin

2012-01-01

A shape optimization is proposed to obtain the desired final shape of forming and forging products in the manufacturing process. The final shape of a forming product depends on the shape parameters of the initial blank shape. The final shape of a forging product depends on the shape parameters of the billet shape. Shape optimization can be used to determine the shape of the blank and billet to obtain the appropriate final forming and forging products. The equivalent static loads method for non linear static response structural optimization (ESLSO) is used to perform metal forming and forging optimization since nonlinear dynamic analysis is required. Stress equivalent static loads (stress ESLs) are newly defined using a virtual model by redefining the value of the material properties. The examples in this paper show that optimization using the stress ESLs is quite useful and the final shapes of a forming and forging products are identical to the desired shapes

Isogeometric Shape Optimization for Quasi-static and Transient Problems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, Z.P.

2016-01-01

The recently developed isogeometric analysis (IGA) was aimed, from the start, at integrating computer aided design (CAD) and analysis. This synthesis of geometry and analysis has naturally led to renewed interest in developing structural shape optimization. The advantages of using isogeometric

The efficiency of aerodynamic force production in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehmann, F O

2001-12-01

Total efficiency of aerodynamic force production in insect flight depends on both the efficiency with which flight muscles turn metabolic energy into muscle mechanical power and the efficiency with which this power is converted into aerodynamic flight force by the flapping wings. Total efficiency has been estimated in tethered flying fruit flies Drosophila by modulating their power expenditures in a virtual reality flight simulator while simultaneously measuring stroke kinematics, locomotor performance and metabolic costs. During flight, muscle efficiency increases with increasing flight force production, whereas aerodynamic efficiency of lift production decreases with increasing forces. As a consequence of these opposite trends, total flight efficiency in Drosophila remains approximately constant within the kinematic working range of the flight motor. Total efficiency is broadly independent of different profile power estimates and typically amounts to 2-3%. The animal achieves maximum total efficiency near hovering flight conditions, when the beating wings produce flight forces that are equal to the body weight of the insect. It remains uncertain whether this small advantage in total efficiency during hovering flight was shaped by evolutionary factors or results from functional constraints on both the production of mechanical power by the indirect flight muscles and the unsteady aerodynamic mechanisms in flapping flight.

Optimal sensor configuration for flexible structures with multi-dimensional mode shapes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Minwoo; Pakzad, Shamim N

2015-01-01

A framework for deciding the optimal sensor configuration is implemented for civil structures with multi-dimensional mode shapes, which enhances the applicability of structural health monitoring for existing structures. Optimal sensor placement (OSP) algorithms are used to determine the best sensor configuration for structures with a priori knowledge of modal information. The signal strength at each node is evaluated by effective independence and modified variance methods. Euclidean norm of signal strength indices associated with each node is used to expand OSP applicability into flexible structures. The number of sensors for each method is determined using the threshold for modal assurance criterion (MAC) between estimated (from a set of observations) and target mode shapes. Kriging is utilized to infer the modal estimates for unobserved locations with a weighted sum of known neighbors. A Kriging model can be expressed as a sum of linear regression and random error which is assumed as the realization of a stochastic process. This study presents the effects of Kriging parameters for the accurate estimation of mode shapes and the minimum number of sensors. The feasible ranges to satisfy MAC criteria are investigated and used to suggest the adequate searching bounds for associated parameters. The finite element model of a tall building is used to demonstrate the application of optimal sensor configuration. The dynamic modes of flexible structure at centroid are appropriately interpreted into the outermost sensor locations when OSP methods are implemented. Kriging is successfully used to interpolate the mode shapes from a set of sensors and to monitor structures associated with multi-dimensional mode shapes. (paper)

Heat and mass transfer intensification and shape optimization a multi-scale approach

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

Is the heat and mass transfer intensification defined as a new paradigm of process engineering, or is it just a common and old idea, renamed and given the current taste? Where might intensification occur? How to achieve intensification? How the shape optimization of thermal and fluidic devices leads to intensified heat and mass transfers? To answer these questions, Heat & Mass Transfer Intensification and Shape Optimization: A Multi-scale Approach clarifies  the definition of the intensification by highlighting the potential role of the multi-scale structures, the specific interfacial area, the distribution of driving force, the modes of energy supply and the temporal aspects of processes.   A reflection on the methods of process intensification or heat and mass transfer enhancement in multi-scale structures is provided, including porous media, heat exchangers, fluid distributors, mixers and reactors. A multi-scale approach to achieve intensification and shape optimization is developed and clearly expla...

Shape Optimization of Three-Way Reversing Valve for Cavitation Reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Myeong Gon; Han, Seung Ho; Lim, Cha Suk

2015-01-01

A pair of two-way valves typically is used in automotive washing machines, where the water flow direction is frequently reversed and highly pressurized clean water is sprayed to remove the oil and dirt remaining on machined engine and transmission blocks. Although this valve system has been widely used because of its competitive price, its application is sometimes restricted by surging effects, such as pressure ripples occurring in rapid changes in water flow caused by inaccurate valve control. As an alternative, one three-way reversing valve can replace the valve system because it provides rapid and accurate changes to the water flow direction without any precise control device. However, a cavitation effect occurs because of the complicated bottom plug shape of the valve. In this study, the cavitation index and percent of cavitation (POC) were introduced to numerically evaluate fluid flows via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. To reduce the cavitation effect generated by the bottom plug, the optimal shape design was carried out through a parametric study, in which a simple computer-aided engineering (CAE) model was applied to avoid time consuming CFD analysis and difficulties in achieving convergence. The optimal shape design process using full factorial design of experiments (DOEs) and an artificial neural network meta-model yielded the optimal waist and tail length of the bottom plug with a POC value of less than 30%, which meets the requirement of no cavitation occurrence. The optimal waist length, tail length and POC value were found to 6.42 mm, 6.96 mm and 27%, respectively

Shape optimization of three-way reversing valve for cavitation reduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Myeong Gon; Han, Seung Ho; Lim, Cha Suk

2015-01-01

A pair of two-way valves typically is used in automotive washing machines, where the water flow direction is frequently reversed and highly pressurized clean water is sprayed to remove the oil and dirt remaining on machined engine and transmission blocks. Although this valve system has been widely used because of its competitive price, its application is sometimes restricted by surging effects, such as pressure ripples occurring in rapid changes in water flow caused by inaccurate valve control. As an alternative, one three-way reversing valve can replace the valve system because it provides rapid and accurate changes to the water flow direction without any precise control device. However, a cavitation effect occurs because of the complicated bottom plug shape of the valve. In this study, the cavitation index and percent of cavitation (POC) were introduced to numerically evaluate fluid flows via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. To reduce the cavitation effect generated by the bottom plug, the optimal shape design was carried out through a parametric study, in which a simple computer-aided engineering (CAE) model was applied to avoid time-consuming CFD analysis and difficulties in achieving convergence. The optimal shape design process using full factorial design of experiments (DOEs) and an artificial neural network meta-model yielded the optimal waist and tail length of the bottom plug with a POC value of less than 30%, which meets the requirement of no cavitation occurrence. The optimal waist length, tail length and POC value were found to 6.42 mm, 6.96 mm and 27%, respectively

Shape Optimization of Three-Way Reversing Valve for Cavitation Reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Myeong Gon; Han, Seung Ho [Donga Univ., Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Cha Suk [Baek San Hi-Tech Co., Ltd., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-15

A pair of two-way valves typically is used in automotive washing machines, where the water flow direction is frequently reversed and highly pressurized clean water is sprayed to remove the oil and dirt remaining on machined engine and transmission blocks. Although this valve system has been widely used because of its competitive price, its application is sometimes restricted by surging effects, such as pressure ripples occurring in rapid changes in water flow caused by inaccurate valve control. As an alternative, one three-way reversing valve can replace the valve system because it provides rapid and accurate changes to the water flow direction without any precise control device. However, a cavitation effect occurs because of the complicated bottom plug shape of the valve. In this study, the cavitation index and percent of cavitation (POC) were introduced to numerically evaluate fluid flows via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. To reduce the cavitation effect generated by the bottom plug, the optimal shape design was carried out through a parametric study, in which a simple computer-aided engineering (CAE) model was applied to avoid time consuming CFD analysis and difficulties in achieving convergence. The optimal shape design process using full factorial design of experiments (DOEs) and an artificial neural network meta-model yielded the optimal waist and tail length of the bottom plug with a POC value of less than 30%, which meets the requirement of no cavitation occurrence. The optimal waist length, tail length and POC value were found to 6.42 mm, 6.96 mm and 27%, respectively.

Shape optimization of three-way reversing valve for cavitation reduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Myeong Gon; Han, Seung Ho [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Dong-A University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Lim, Cha Suk [Baek San Hi-Tech Co., Ltd., Yangsan(Korea, Republic of)

2015-11-15

A pair of two-way valves typically is used in automotive washing machines, where the water flow direction is frequently reversed and highly pressurized clean water is sprayed to remove the oil and dirt remaining on machined engine and transmission blocks. Although this valve system has been widely used because of its competitive price, its application is sometimes restricted by surging effects, such as pressure ripples occurring in rapid changes in water flow caused by inaccurate valve control. As an alternative, one three-way reversing valve can replace the valve system because it provides rapid and accurate changes to the water flow direction without any precise control device. However, a cavitation effect occurs because of the complicated bottom plug shape of the valve. In this study, the cavitation index and percent of cavitation (POC) were introduced to numerically evaluate fluid flows via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. To reduce the cavitation effect generated by the bottom plug, the optimal shape design was carried out through a parametric study, in which a simple computer-aided engineering (CAE) model was applied to avoid time-consuming CFD analysis and difficulties in achieving convergence. The optimal shape design process using full factorial design of experiments (DOEs) and an artificial neural network meta-model yielded the optimal waist and tail length of the bottom plug with a POC value of less than 30%, which meets the requirement of no cavitation occurrence. The optimal waist length, tail length and POC value were found to 6.42 mm, 6.96 mm and 27%, respectively.

Aeroelastic Optimization of a 10 MW Wind Turbine Blade with Active Trailing Edge Flaps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barlas, Athanasios; Tibaldi, Carlo; Zahle, Frederik

2016-01-01

This article presents the aeroelastic optimization of a 10MW wind turbine ‘smart blade’ equipped with active trailing edge flaps. The multi-disciplinary wind turbine analysis and optimization tool HawtOpt2 is utilized, which is based on the open-source framework Open-MDAO. The tool interfaces...... to several state-of-the art simulation codes, allowing for a wide variety of problem formulations and combinations of models. A simultaneous aerodynamic and structural optimization of a 10 MW wind turbine rotor is carried out with respect to material layups and outer shape. Active trailing edge flaps...

A study on the improvement of shape optimization associated with the modification of a finite element

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung, Jin Il; Yoo, Jeong Hoon

2002-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the effect and the importance of the accuracy of finite element analysis in the shape optimization based on the finite element method and improve the existing finite element which has inaccuracy in some cases. And then, the shape optimization is performed by using the improved finite element. One of the main stream to improve finite element is the prevention of locking phenomenon. In case of bending dominant problems, finite element solutions cannot be reliable because of shear locking phenomenon. In the process of shape optimization, the mesh distortion is large due to the change of the structure outline. So, we have to raise the accuracy of finite element analysis for the large mesh distortion. We cannot guarantee the accurate result unless the finite element itself is accurate or the finite elements are remeshed. So, we approach to more accurate shape optimization to diminish these inaccuracies by improving the existing finite element. The shape optimization using the modified finite element is applied to a two and three dimensional simple beam. Results show that the modified finite element has improved the optimization results

Describing the Corneal Shape after Wavefront-Optimized Photorefractive Keratectomy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Tim; Wijdh, Robert H. J.; Koopmans, Steven A.; Jansonius, Nomdo M.

2014-01-01

PURPOSE: To develop a procedure for describing wavefront-optimized photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) corneas and to characterize PRK-induced changes in shape. METHODS: We analyzed preoperative and postoperative corneal elevation data of 41 eyes of 41 patients (mean [±SD] age, 38 [±11] years) who

Fairing Well: Aerodynamic Truck Research at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. From Shoebox to Bat Truck and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Gelzer, Christian

2011-01-01

In 1973 engineers at Dryden began investigating ways to reduce aerodynamic drag on land vehicles. They began with a delivery van whose shape they changed dramatically, finally reducing its aerodynamic drag by more than 5 percent. They then turned their attention to tracator-trailers, modifying a cab-over and reducing its aerodynamic drag by nearly 25 percent. Further research identified additional areas worth attention, but in the intervening decades few of those changes have appeared.

Optimization on shape curves with application to specular stereo

KAUST Repository

Balzer, Jonathan

2010-01-01

We state that a one-dimensional manifold of shapes in 3-space can be modeled by a level set function. Finding a minimizer of an independent functional among all points on such a shape curve has interesting applications in computer vision. It is shown how to replace the commonly encountered practice of gradient projection by a projection onto the curve itself. The outcome is an algorithm for constrained optimization, which, as we demonstrate theoretically and numerically, provides some important benefits in stereo reconstruction of specular surfaces. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Research on aerodynamic means of isotope enrichment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cattolica, R.J.; Gallagher, R.J.; Talbot, L.; Willis, D.R.; Hurlbut, F.C.; Fiszdon, W.; Anderson, J.B.

1978-03-01

The results of a research program directed toward the understanding of the fundamental gas dynamics involved in aerodynamic isotope enrichment are summarized. The specific aerodynamic isotope enrichment method which was examined in this research is based on a velocity slip phenomenon which occurs in the rarefied hypersonic expansion of a heavy molecular weight gas and a light carrier gas in a nozzle or free jet. This particular aerodynamic method was chosen for study because it contains the fundamental molecular physics of other more complex techniques within the context of a one-dimensional flow without boundary effects. From both an experimental and theoretical modeling perspective this provides an excellent basis for testing the experimental and numerical tools with which to investigate more complex aerodynamic isotope enrichment processes. This report consists of three separate parts. Part I contains a theoretical analysis of the velocity slip effect in free jet expansions of binary and ternary gas mixtures. The analysis, based on a source flow model and using moment equations is derived from the Boltzmann equation using the hypersonic approximation. Part II contains the experimental measurements of velocity slip. The numerical simulation of the slip process was carried out by using a Monte-Carlo numerical technique. In addition, comparisons between the theoretical analysis of Part I and the experiments are presented. Part III describes impact pressure measurements of free jet expansions from slot shaped two dimensional nozzles. At least two methods of aerodynamic isotope enrichment (opposed jet and velocity slip) would depend on the use of this type of two dimensional expansion. Flow surveys of single free jet and the interferene of crossed free jets are presented

Mass spectrometric analysis and aerodynamic properties of various types of combustion-related aerosol particles

Science.gov (United States)

Schneider, J.; Weimer, S.; Drewnick, F.; Borrmann, S.; Helas, G.; Gwaze, P.; Schmid, O.; Andreae, M. O.; Kirchner, U.

2006-12-01

Various types of combustion-related particles in the size range between 100 and 850 nm were analyzed with an aerosol mass spectrometer and a differential mobility analyzer. The measurements were performed with particles originating from biomass burning, diesel engine exhaust, laboratory combustion of diesel fuel and gasoline, as well as from spark soot generation. Physical and morphological parameters like fractal dimension, effective density, bulk density and dynamic shape factor were derived or at least approximated from the measurements of electrical mobility diameter and vacuum aerodynamic diameter. The relative intensities of the mass peaks in the mass spectra obtained from particles generated by a commercial diesel passenger car, by diesel combustion in a laboratory burner, and by evaporating and re-condensing lubrication oil were found to be very similar. The mass spectra from biomass burning particles show signatures identified as organic compounds like levoglucosan but also others which are yet unidentified. The aerodynamic behavior yielded a fractal dimension (Df) of 2.09 +/- 0.06 for biomass burning particles from the combustion of dry beech sticks, but showed values around three, and hence more compact particle morphologies, for particles from combustion of more natural oak. Scanning electron microscope images confirmed the finding that the beech combustion particles were fractal-like aggregates, while the oak combustion particles displayed a much more compact shape. For particles from laboratory combusted diesel fuel, a Df value of 2.35 was found, for spark soot particles, Df [approximate] 2.10. The aerodynamic properties of fractal-like particles from dry beech wood combustion indicate an aerodynamic shape factor [chi] that increases with electrical mobility diameter, and a bulk density of 1.92 g cm-3. An upper limit of [chi] [approximate] 1.2 was inferred for the shape factor of the more compact particles from oak combustion.

Level set method for optimal shape design of MRAM core. Micromagnetic approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melicher, Valdemar; Cimrak, Ivan; Keer, Roger van

2008-01-01

We aim at optimizing the shape of the magnetic core in MRAM memories. The evolution of the magnetization during the writing process is described by the Landau-Lifshitz equation (LLE). The actual shape of the core in one cell is characterized by the coefficient γ. Cost functional f=f(γ) expresses the quality of the writing process having in mind the competition between the full-select and the half-select element. We derive an explicit form of the derivative F=∂f/∂γ which allows for the use of gradient-type methods for the actual computation of the optimized shape (e.g., steepest descend method). The level set method (LSM) is employed for the representation of the piecewise constant coefficient γ

Aerodynamic sound from a sawtooth plate with different thickness ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Acoustic performance of an airfoil can be improved with the serrated leading or trailing edge. A sawtooth plate is one of the serration shapes. In this study, the effect of sawtooth plate thickness on the aerodynamically generated noise in wake-sawtooth plate interaction at a Reynolds number of 150 is numerically investigated ...

Shape accuracy optimization for cable-rib tension deployable antenna structure with tensioned cables

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ruiwei; Guo, Hongwei; Liu, Rongqiang; Wang, Hongxiang; Tang, Dewei; Song, Xiaoke

2017-11-01

Shape accuracy is of substantial importance in deployable structures as the demand for large-scale deployable structures in various fields, especially in aerospace engineering, increases. The main purpose of this paper is to present a shape accuracy optimization method to find the optimal pretensions for the desired shape of cable-rib tension deployable antenna structure with tensioned cables. First, an analysis model of the deployable structure is established by using finite element method. In this model, geometrical nonlinearity is considered for the cable element and beam element. Flexible deformations of the deployable structure under the action of cable network and tensioned cables are subsequently analyzed separately. Moreover, the influence of pretension of tensioned cables on natural frequencies is studied. Based on the results, a genetic algorithm is used to find a set of reasonable pretension and thus minimize structural deformation under the first natural frequency constraint. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to analyze the deployable structure under two kinds of constraints. Results show that the shape accuracy and natural frequencies of deployable structure can be effectively improved by pretension optimization.

Tooth shape optimization of brushless permanent magnet motors for reducing torque ripples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, L.-Y.; Tsai, M.-C.

2004-01-01

This paper presents a tooth shape optimization method based on a generic algorithm to reduce the torque ripple of brushless permanent magnet motors under two different magnetization directions. The analysis of this design method mainly focuses on magnetic saturation and cogging torque and the computation of the optimization process is based on an equivalent magnetic network circuit. The simulation results, obtained from the finite element analysis, are used to confirm the accuracy and performance. Finite element analysis results from different tooth shapes are compared to show the effectiveness of the proposed method

Nonlinear Shaping Architecture Designed with Using Evolutionary Structural Optimization Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Januszkiewicz, Krystyna; Banachowicz, Marta

2017-10-01

The paper explores the possibilities of using Structural Optimization Tools (ESO) digital tools in an integrated structural and architectural design in response to the current needs geared towards sustainability, combining ecological and economic efficiency. The first part of the paper defines the Evolutionary Structural Optimization tools, which were developed specifically for engineering purposes using finite element analysis as a framework. The development of ESO has led to several incarnations, which are all briefly discussed (Additive ESO, Bi-directional ESO, Extended ESO). The second part presents result of using these tools in structural and architectural design. Actual building projects which involve optimization as a part of the original design process will be presented (Crematorium in Kakamigahara Gifu, Japan, 2006 SANAA“s Learning Centre, EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland 2008 among others). The conclusion emphasizes that the structural engineering and architectural design mean directing attention to the solutions which are used by Nature, designing works optimally shaped and forming their own environments. Architectural forms never constitute the optimum shape derived through a form-finding process driven only by structural optimization, but rather embody and integrate a multitude of parameters. It might be assumed that there is a similarity between these processes in nature and the presented design methods. Contemporary digital methods make the simulation of such processes possible, and thus enable us to refer back to the empirical methods of previous generations.

Aerodynamic Interactions During Laser Cutting

Science.gov (United States)

Fieret, J.; Terry, M. J.; Ward, B. A.

1986-11-01

Most laser cutting systems utilise a gas jet to remove molten or vaporised material from the kerf. The speed, economy and quality of the cut can be strongly dependent on the aerodynamic conditions created by the nozzle, workpiece proximity and kerf shape. Adverse conditions can be established that may lead to an unwelcome lack of reproducibility of cut quality. Relatively low gas nozzle pressures can result in supersonic flow in the jet with its associated shock fronts. When the nozzle is placed at conventional distances (1-2mm) above the workpiece, the force exerted by the gas on the workpiece and the cut products (the cutting pressure) can be significantly less than the nozzle pressure. Higher cutting pressures can be achieved by increasing the height of the nozzle above the workpiece, to a more damage resistant zone, provided that the shock structure of the jet is taken into account. Conventional conical nozzles with circular exits can be operated with conditions that will result in cutting pressures up to 3 Bar (g) in the more distant zone. At higher pressures in circular tipped nozzles the cutting pressure in this zone decays to inadequate levels. Investigations of a large number of non-circular nozzle tip shapes have resulted in the selection of a few specific shapes that can provide cutting pressures in excess of 6 Bar(g) at distances of 4 to 7mm from the nozzle tip. Since there is a strong correlation between cutting pressure and the speed and quality of laser cutting, the paper describes the aerodynamic requirements for achieving the above effects and reports the cutting results arising from the different nozzle designs and conditions. The results of the work of other investigators, who report anomalous laser cutting results, will be examined and reviewed in the light of the above work.

Optimization of ultrasonic array inspections using an efficient hybrid model and real crack shapes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Felice, Maria V., E-mail: maria.felice@bristol.ac.uk [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K. and NDE Laboratory, Rolls-Royce plc., Bristol (United Kingdom); Velichko, Alexander, E-mail: p.wilcox@bristol.ac.uk; Wilcox, Paul D., E-mail: p.wilcox@bristol.ac.uk [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol (United Kingdom); Barden, Tim; Dunhill, Tony [NDE Laboratory, Rolls-Royce plc., Bristol (United Kingdom)

2015-03-31

Models which simulate the interaction of ultrasound with cracks can be used to optimize ultrasonic array inspections, but this approach can be time-consuming. To overcome this issue an efficient hybrid model is implemented which includes a finite element method that requires only a single layer of elements around the crack shape. Scattering Matrices are used to capture the scattering behavior of the individual cracks and a discussion on the angular degrees of freedom of elastodynamic scatterers is included. Real crack shapes are obtained from X-ray Computed Tomography images of cracked parts and these shapes are inputted into the hybrid model. The effect of using real crack shapes instead of straight notch shapes is demonstrated. An array optimization methodology which incorporates the hybrid model, an approximate single-scattering relative noise model and the real crack shapes is then described.

Shape-Memory-Alloy Actuator For Flight Controls

Science.gov (United States)

Barret, Chris

1995-01-01

Report proposes use of shape-memory-alloy actuators, instead of hydraulic actuators, for aerodynamic flight-control surfaces. Actuator made of shape-memory alloy converts thermal energy into mechanical work by changing shape as it makes transitions between martensitic and austenitic crystalline phase states of alloy. Because both hot exhaust gases and cryogenic propellant liquids available aboard launch rockets, shape-memory-alloy actuators exceptionally suited for use aboard such rockets.

Three-dimensional shape optimization of a cemented hip stem and experimental validations.

Science.gov (United States)

Higa, Masaru; Tanino, Hiromasa; Nishimura, Ikuya; Mitamura, Yoshinori; Matsuno, Takeo; Ito, Hiroshi

2015-03-01

This study proposes novel optimized stem geometry with low stress values in the cement using a finite element (FE) analysis combined with an optimization procedure and experimental measurements of cement stress in vitro. We first optimized an existing stem geometry using a three-dimensional FE analysis combined with a shape optimization technique. One of the most important factors in the cemented stem design is to reduce stress in the cement. Hence, in the optimization study, we minimized the largest tensile principal stress in the cement mantle under a physiological loading condition by changing the stem geometry. As the next step, the optimized stem and the existing stem were manufactured to validate the usefulness of the numerical models and the results of the optimization in vitro. In the experimental study, strain gauges were embedded in the cement mantle to measure the strain in the cement mantle adjacent to the stems. The overall trend of the experimental study was in good agreement with the results of the numerical study, and we were able to reduce the largest stress by more than 50% in both shape optimization and strain gauge measurements. Thus, we could validate the usefulness of the numerical models and the results of the optimization using the experimental models. The optimization employed in this study is a useful approach for developing new stem designs.

Shape optimization of a Timoshenko beam together with an elastic foundation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Machalová J.

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In this article we are going first to aim at the variational ormulation of the bending problem for the Timoshenko beam model. Afterwards we will extend this problem to the Timoshenko beam resting on the Winkler foundation, which is firmly connected with the beam. Hereafter a shape optimization for the aforementioned problems is presented. The state problem is here represented by the system of two ordinary differential equations of the second order. The optimization problem is given as a minimization of the so-called compliance functional on the set of all admissible design variables. For our purpose as the design variable we will select the beam thickness. Shape optimization problems have attracted the interest of many applied mathematicians and engineers. The objective of this article is to present a solution method for one of these problems and its demonstration by examples.

Modeling Powered Aerodynamics for the Orion Launch Abort Vehicle Aerodynamic Database

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, David T.; Walker, Eric L.; Robinson, Philip E.; Wilson, Thomas M.

2011-01-01

Modeling the aerodynamics of the Orion Launch Abort Vehicle (LAV) has presented many technical challenges to the developers of the Orion aerodynamic database. During a launch abort event, the aerodynamic environment around the LAV is very complex as multiple solid rocket plumes interact with each other and the vehicle. It is further complicated by vehicle separation events such as between the LAV and the launch vehicle stack or between the launch abort tower and the crew module. The aerodynamic database for the LAV was developed mainly from wind tunnel tests involving powered jet simulations of the rocket exhaust plumes, supported by computational fluid dynamic simulations. However, limitations in both methods have made it difficult to properly capture the aerodynamics of the LAV in experimental and numerical simulations. These limitations have also influenced decisions regarding the modeling and structure of the aerodynamic database for the LAV and led to compromises and creative solutions. Two database modeling approaches are presented in this paper (incremental aerodynamics and total aerodynamics), with examples showing strengths and weaknesses of each approach. In addition, the unique problems presented to the database developers by the large data space required for modeling a launch abort event illustrate the complexities of working with multi-dimensional data.

Influence of inflow angle on flexible flap aerodynamic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, H Y; Ye, Z; Li, Z M; Li, C

2013-01-01

Large scale wind turbines have larger blade lengths and weights, which creates new challenges for blade design. This paper selects NREL S809 airfoil, and uses the parameterized technology to realize the flexible trailing edge deformation, researches the dynamic aerodynamic characteristics in the process of continuous flexible deformation, analyses the influence of inflow angle on flexible flap aerodynamic performance, in order to further realize the flexible wind turbine blade design and provides some references for the active control scheme. The results show that compared with the original airfoil, proper trailing edge deformation can improve the lift coefficient, reduce the drag coefficient, and thereby more efficiently realize flow field active control. With inflow angle increases, dynamic lift-drag coefficient hysteresis loop shape deviation occurs, even turns into different shapes. Appropriate swing angle can improve the flap lift coefficient, but may cause early separation of flow. To improve the overall performance of wind turbine blades, different angular control should be used at different cross sections, in order to achieve the best performance

Parameter-free method for the shape optimization of stiffeners on thin-walled structures to minimize stress concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Yang; Shibutan, Yoji [Osaka University, Osaka (Japan); Shimoda, Masatoshi [Toyota Technological Institute, Nagoya (Japan)

2015-04-15

This paper presents a parameter-free shape optimization method for the strength design of stiffeners on thin-walled structures. The maximum von Mises stress is minimized and subjected to the volume constraint. The optimum design problem is formulated as a distributed-parameter shape optimization problem under the assumptions that a stiffener is varied in the in-plane direction and that the thickness is constant. The issue of nondifferentiability, which is inherent in this min-max problem, is avoided by transforming the local measure to a smooth differentiable integral functional by using the Kreisselmeier-Steinhauser function. The shape gradient functions are derived by using the material derivative method and adjoint variable method and are applied to the H{sup 1} gradient method for shells to determine the optimal free-boundary shapes. By using this method, the smooth optimal stiffener shape can be obtained without any shape design parameterization while minimizing the maximum stress. The validity of this method is verified through two practical design examples.

Effect of Local Junction Losses in the Optimization of T-shaped Flow Channels

Science.gov (United States)

Kosaraju, Srinivas

2015-11-01

T-shaped channels are extensively used in flow distribution applications such as irrigation, chemical dispersion, gas pipelines and space heating and cooling. The geometry of T-shaped channels can be optimized to reduce the overall pressure drop in stem and branch sections. Results of such optimizations are in the form of geometric parameters such as the length and diameter ratios of the stem and branch sections. The traditional approach of this optimization accounts for the pressure drop across the stem and branch sections, however, ignores the pressure drop in the T-junction. In this paper, we conduct geometry optimization while including the effect of local junction losses in laminar flows. From the results, we are able to identify a non-dimensional parameter that can be used to predict the optimal geometric configurations. This parameter can also be used to identify the conditions in which the local junction losses can be ignored during the optimization.

An optimization approach for extracting and encoding consistent maps in a shape collection

KAUST Repository

Huang, Qi-Xing

2012-11-01

We introduce a novel approach for computing high quality point-topoint maps among a collection of related shapes. The proposed approach takes as input a sparse set of imperfect initial maps between pairs of shapes and builds a compact data structure which implicitly encodes an improved set of maps between all pairs of shapes. These maps align well with point correspondences selected from initial maps; they map neighboring points to neighboring points; and they provide cycle-consistency, so that map compositions along cycles approximate the identity map. The proposed approach is motivated by the fact that a complete set of maps between all pairs of shapes that admits nearly perfect cycleconsistency are highly redundant and can be represented by compositions of maps through a single base shape. In general, multiple base shapes are needed to adequately cover a diverse collection. Our algorithm sequentially extracts such a small collection of base shapes and creates correspondences from each of these base shapes to all other shapes. These correspondences are found by global optimization on candidate correspondences obtained by diffusing initial maps. These are then used to create a compact graphical data structure from which globally optimal cycle-consistent maps can be extracted using simple graph algorithms. Experimental results on benchmark datasets show that the proposed approach yields significantly better results than state-of-theart data-driven shape matching methods. © 2012 ACM.

Shape optimization for Stokes problem with threshold slip

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Haslinger, J.; Stebel, Jan; Taoufik, S.

2014-01-01

Roč. 59, č. 6 (2014), s. 631-652 ISSN 0862-7940 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/0917; GA ČR(CZ) GAP201/12/0671 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : Stokes problem * friction boundary condition * shape optimization Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.400, year: 2014 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10492-014-0077-z

Pole-shape optimization of permanent-magnet linear synchronous motor for reduction of thrust ripple

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tavana, Nariman Roshandel, E-mail: nroshandel@ee.iust.ac.i [Department of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Shoulaie, Abbas, E-mail: shoulaie@iust.ac.i [Department of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2011-01-15

In this paper, we have used magnet arc shaping technique in order to improve the performance of permanent-magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM). At first, a detailed analytical modeling based on Maxwell equations is presented for the analysis and design of PMLSM with the arc-shaped magnetic poles (ASMPs). Then the accuracy of presented method is verified by finite-element method. Very close agreement between the analytical and finite-element results shows the effectiveness of the proposed method. Finally, a magnet shape design is carried out based on the analytical method to enhance the motor developed thrust. Pertinent evaluations on the optimal design performance demonstrate that shape optimization leads to a design with extra low thrust ripple.

Pole-shape optimization of permanent-magnet linear synchronous motor for reduction of thrust ripple

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tavana, Nariman Roshandel; Shoulaie, Abbas

2011-01-01

In this paper, we have used magnet arc shaping technique in order to improve the performance of permanent-magnet linear synchronous motor (PMLSM). At first, a detailed analytical modeling based on Maxwell equations is presented for the analysis and design of PMLSM with the arc-shaped magnetic poles (ASMPs). Then the accuracy of presented method is verified by finite-element method. Very close agreement between the analytical and finite-element results shows the effectiveness of the proposed method. Finally, a magnet shape design is carried out based on the analytical method to enhance the motor developed thrust. Pertinent evaluations on the optimal design performance demonstrate that shape optimization leads to a design with extra low thrust ripple.

Optimal elastomeric scaffold leaflet shape for pulmonary heart valve leaflet replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Rong; Bayoumi, Ahmed S; Chen, Peter; Hobson, Christopher M; Wagner, William R; Mayer, John E; Sacks, Michael S

2013-02-22

Surgical replacement of the pulmonary valve (PV) is a common treatment option for congenital pulmonary valve defects. Engineered tissue approaches to develop novel PV replacements are intrinsically complex, and will require methodical approaches for their development. Single leaflet replacement utilizing an ovine model is an attractive approach in that candidate materials can be evaluated under valve level stresses in blood contact without the confounding effects of a particular valve design. In the present study an approach for optimal leaflet shape design based on finite element (FE) simulation of a mechanically anisotropic, elastomeric scaffold for PV replacement is presented. The scaffold was modeled as an orthotropic hyperelastic material using a generalized Fung-type constitutive model. The optimal shape of the fully loaded PV replacement leaflet was systematically determined by minimizing the difference between the deformed shape obtained from FE simulation and an ex-vivo microCT scan of a native ovine PV leaflet. Effects of material anisotropy, dimensional changes of PV root, and fiber orientation on the resulting leaflet deformation were investigated. In-situ validation demonstrated that the approach could guide the design of the leaflet shape for PV replacement surgery. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Femoral hip prosthesis design for Thais using multi-objective shape optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Virulsri, Chanyaphan; Tangpornprasert, Pairat; Romtrairat, Parineak

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A multi-objective shape optimization was proposed to design hip prosthesis for Thais. • The prosthesis design was optimized in terms of safety of both cement and prosthesis. • The objective functions used the Soderberg fatigue strength formulations. • Safety factors of the cement and prosthesis are 1.200 and 1.109 respectively. • The newly designed prosthesis also fits well with chosen small-sized Thai femurs. - Abstract: The long-term success of Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) depends largely on how well the prosthetic components fit the bones. The majority of cemented femoral hip prosthesis failures are due to aseptic loosening, which is possibly caused by cracking of the cement mantle. The strength of cement components is a function of cement mantles having adequate thickness. Since the size and shape of cemented femoral hip prostheses used in Thailand are based on designs for a Caucasian population, they do not properly conform to most Thai patients’ physical requirements. For these reasons, prostheses designed specifically for Thai patients must consider the longevity and functionality of both cement and prosthesis. The objective of this study was to discover a new design for femoral hip prostheses which is not only optimal and safe in terms of both cement and prosthesis, but also fits the selected Thai femur. This study used a small-sized Thai femoral model as a reference model for a new design. Biocompatible stainless steel 316L (SS316L) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) were selected as raw materials for the prosthesis and bone cement respectively. A multi-objective shape optimization program, which is an interface between optimization C program named NSGA-II and a finite element program named ANSYS, was used to optimize longevity of femoral hip prostheses by varying shape parameters at assigned cross-sections of the selected geometry. Maximum walking loads of sixty-kilograms were applied to a finite element model for stress and

Aerodynamic Optimization of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Trailing Edge Flap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ertem, Sercan; Ferreira, Carlos Simao; Gaunaa, Mac

2016-01-01

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) are competitive concepts for very large scale (10-20 MW)floating ofshore applications. Rotor circulation control (loading control) opens a wide design space to enhance the aerodynamic and operational features of VAWT. The modied linear derivation of the Actuator...

Structural dynamics and aerodynamics measurements of biologically inspired flexible flapping wings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, P; Stanford, B K; Ifju, P G; Saellstroem, E; Ukeiley, L

2011-01-01

Flapping wing flight as seen in hummingbirds and insects poses an interesting unsteady aerodynamic problem: coupling of wing kinematics, structural dynamics and aerodynamics. There have been numerous studies on the kinematics and aerodynamics in both experimental and computational cases with both natural and artificial wings. These studies tend to ignore wing flexibility; however, observation in nature affirms that passive wing deformation is predominant and may be crucial to the aerodynamic performance. This paper presents a multidisciplinary experimental endeavor in correlating a flapping micro air vehicle wing's aeroelasticity and thrust production, by quantifying and comparing overall thrust, structural deformation and airflow of six pairs of hummingbird-shaped membrane wings of different properties. The results show that for a specific spatial distribution of flexibility, there is an effective frequency range in thrust production. The wing deformation at the thrust-productive frequencies indicates the importance of flexibility: both bending and twisting motion can interact with aerodynamic loads to enhance wing performance under certain conditions, such as the deformation phase and amplitude. By measuring structural deformations under the same aerodynamic conditions, beneficial effects of passive wing deformation can be observed from the visualized airflow and averaged thrust. The measurements and their presentation enable observation and understanding of the required structural properties for a thrust effective flapping wing. The intended passive responses of the different wings follow a particular pattern in correlation to their aerodynamic performance. Consequently, both the experimental technique and data analysis method can lead to further studies to determine the design principles for micro air vehicle flapping wings.

Structural dynamics and aerodynamics measurements of biologically inspired flexible flapping wings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, P; Stanford, B K; Ifju, P G [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, MAE-A 231, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Saellstroem, E; Ukeiley, L, E-mail: diccidwp@ufl.edu [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Shalimar, FL 32579 (United States)

2011-03-15

Flapping wing flight as seen in hummingbirds and insects poses an interesting unsteady aerodynamic problem: coupling of wing kinematics, structural dynamics and aerodynamics. There have been numerous studies on the kinematics and aerodynamics in both experimental and computational cases with both natural and artificial wings. These studies tend to ignore wing flexibility; however, observation in nature affirms that passive wing deformation is predominant and may be crucial to the aerodynamic performance. This paper presents a multidisciplinary experimental endeavor in correlating a flapping micro air vehicle wing's aeroelasticity and thrust production, by quantifying and comparing overall thrust, structural deformation and airflow of six pairs of hummingbird-shaped membrane wings of different properties. The results show that for a specific spatial distribution of flexibility, there is an effective frequency range in thrust production. The wing deformation at the thrust-productive frequencies indicates the importance of flexibility: both bending and twisting motion can interact with aerodynamic loads to enhance wing performance under certain conditions, such as the deformation phase and amplitude. By measuring structural deformations under the same aerodynamic conditions, beneficial effects of passive wing deformation can be observed from the visualized airflow and averaged thrust. The measurements and their presentation enable observation and understanding of the required structural properties for a thrust effective flapping wing. The intended passive responses of the different wings follow a particular pattern in correlation to their aerodynamic performance. Consequently, both the experimental technique and data analysis method can lead to further studies to determine the design principles for micro air vehicle flapping wings.

Modification of the NACA 632-415 leading edge for better aerodynamic performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bak, C.; Fuglsang, P.

2002-01-01

Double stall causes more than one power level when stall-regulated wind turbines operate in stall. This involves significant uncertainty on power production and loads. To avoid double stall, a new leading edge was designed for the NACA 632-415 airfoil, an airfoil that is often used in the tip...... region of wind turbines. A numerical optimization tool incorporating XFOIL was used with a special formulation for the airfoil leading edge shape. The EllipSys2D CFD code was used to analyze the modified airfoil. In theory and in wind tunnel tests, the modified airfoil showed smooth and stable stall...... stall and aerodynamic damping characteristics for the modified airfoil and the NACA 632-415 airfoil were the same. The modified airfoil with leading edge roughness in general had better characteristics compared with the NACA 632-415 airfoil. ©2002 ASME...

Utilization of Optimization for Design of Morphing Wing Structures for Enhanced Flight

Science.gov (United States)

Detrick, Matthew Scott

Conventional aircraft control surfaces constrain maneuverability. This work is a comprehensive study that looks at both smart material and conventional actuation methods to achieve wing twist to potentially improve flight capability using minimal actuation energy while allowing minimal wing deformation under aerodynamic loading. A continuous wing is used in order to reduce drag while allowing the aircraft to more closely approximate the wing deformation used by birds while loitering. The morphing wing for this work consists of a skin supported by an underlying truss structure whose goal is to achieve a given roll moment using less actuation energy than conventional control surfaces. A structural optimization code has been written in order to achieve minimal wing deformation under aerodynamic loading while allowing wing twist under actuation. The multi-objective cost function for the optimization consists of terms that ensure small deformation under aerodynamic loading, small change in airfoil shape during wing twist, a linear variation of wing twist along the length of the wing, small deviation from the desired wing twist, minimal number of truss members, minimal wing weight, and minimal actuation energy. Hydraulic cylinders and a two member linkage driven by a DC motor are tested separately to provide actuation. Since the goal of the current work is simply to provide a roll moment, only one actuator is implemented along the wing span. Optimization is also used to find the best location within the truss structure for the actuator. The active structure produced by optimization is then compared to simulated and experimental results from other researchers as well as characteristics of conventional aircraft.

Shape and topology optimization of enzymatic microreactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pereira Rosinha, Ines

for effective and cost efficient reactors for pharmaceutical processes forces the industry to search for better technologies. In biochemical engineering, the used reactor design in a given process is usually limited to a range of well-established configurations and layouts. Usually the implemented reactors...... in a chemical process do not always yield in the best reaction conditions.This thesis develops an innovative application of topology and shape optimization methods to achemical engineering problem. The main goal is to design a reactor according to the limitations of the reaction system by modifying the reactor...... configuration. In this thesis structural optimization methods were exclusively applied to enzymatic microreactors. The case studies were chosen such that they can be experimentally tested afterwards. In this way, the design of the reactor is customized to the reaction system and itcontributes to the reduction...

Optimal input shaping for Fisher identifiability of control-oriented lithium-ion battery models

Science.gov (United States)

Rothenberger, Michael J.

This dissertation examines the fundamental challenge of optimally shaping input trajectories to maximize parameter identifiability of control-oriented lithium-ion battery models. Identifiability is a property from information theory that determines the solvability of parameter estimation for mathematical models using input-output measurements. This dissertation creates a framework that exploits the Fisher information metric to quantify the level of battery parameter identifiability, optimizes this metric through input shaping, and facilitates faster and more accurate estimation. The popularity of lithium-ion batteries is growing significantly in the energy storage domain, especially for stationary and transportation applications. While these cells have excellent power and energy densities, they are plagued with safety and lifespan concerns. These concerns are often resolved in the industry through conservative current and voltage operating limits, which reduce the overall performance and still lack robustness in detecting catastrophic failure modes. New advances in automotive battery management systems mitigate these challenges through the incorporation of model-based control to increase performance, safety, and lifespan. To achieve these goals, model-based control requires accurate parameterization of the battery model. While many groups in the literature study a variety of methods to perform battery parameter estimation, a fundamental issue of poor parameter identifiability remains apparent for lithium-ion battery models. This fundamental challenge of battery identifiability is studied extensively in the literature, and some groups are even approaching the problem of improving the ability to estimate the model parameters. The first approach is to add additional sensors to the battery to gain more information that is used for estimation. The other main approach is to shape the input trajectories to increase the amount of information that can be gained from input

Analysis and optimization of a camber morphing wing model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bing Li

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This article proposes a camber morphing wing model that can continuously change its camber. A mathematical model is proposed and a kinematic simulation is performed to verify the wing’s ability to change camber. An aerodynamic model is used to test its aerodynamic characteristics. Some important aerodynamic analyses are performed. A comparative analysis is conducted to explore the relationships between aerodynamic parameters, the rotation angle of the trailing edge, and the angle of attack. An improved artificial fish swarm optimization algorithm is proposed, referred to as the weighted adaptive artificial fish-swarm with embedded Hooke–Jeeves search method. Some comparison tests are used to test the performance of the improved optimization algorithm. Finally, the proposed optimization algorithm is used to optimize the proposed camber morphing wing model.

Overview of Current Turbine Aerodynamic Analysis and Testing at MSFC

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Lisa W.; Hudson, Susan T.; Zoladz, Thomas F.

1999-01-01

An overview of the current turbine aerodynamic analysis and testing activities at NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is presented. The presentation is divided into three areas. The first area is the three-dimensional (3D), unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the Fastrac turbine. Results from a coupled nozzle, blade, and exit guide vane analysis and from an uncoupled nozzle and coupled blade and exit guide vane will be presented. Unsteady pressure distributions, frequencies, and exit profiles from each analysis will be compared and contrasted. The second area is the testing and analysis of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) High Pressure Fuel Turbopump (HPFTP) turbine with instrumented first stage blades. The SSME HPFTP turbine was tested in air at the MSFC Turbine Test Equipment (TTE). Pressure transducers were mounted on the first stage blades. Unsteady, 3D CFD analysis was performed for this geometry and flow conditions. A sampling of the results will be shown. The third area is a status of the Turbine Performance Optimization task. The objective of this task is to improve the efficiency of a turbine for potential use on a next generation launch vehicle. This task includes global optimization for the preliminary design, detailed optimization for blade shapes and spacing, and application of advanced CFD analysis. The final design will be tested in the MSFC TTE.

The space shuttle ascent vehicle aerodynamic challenges configuration design and data base development

Science.gov (United States)

Dill, C. C.; Young, J. C.; Roberts, B. B.; Craig, M. K.; Hamilton, J. T.; Boyle, W. W.

1985-01-01

The phase B Space Shuttle systems definition studies resulted in a generic configuration consisting of a delta wing orbiter, and two solid rocket boosters (SRB) attached to an external fuel tank (ET). The initial challenge facing the aerodynamic community was aerodynamically optimizing, within limits, this configuration. As the Shuttle program developed and the sensitivities of the vehicle to aerodynamics were better understood the requirements of the aerodynamic data base grew. Adequately characterizing the vehicle to support the various design studies exploded the size of the data base to proportions that created a data modeling/management challenge for the aerodynamicist. The ascent aerodynamic data base originated primarily from wind tunnel test results. The complexity of the configuration rendered conventional analytic methods of little use. Initial wind tunnel tests provided results which included undesirable effects from model support tructure, inadequate element proximity, and inadequate plume simulation. The challenge to improve the quality of test results by determining the extent of these undesirable effects and subsequently develop testing techniques to eliminate them was imposed on the aerodynamic community. The challenges to the ascent aerodynamics community documented are unique due to the aerodynamic complexity of the Shuttle launch. Never before was such a complex vehicle aerodynamically characterized. The challenges were met with innovative engineering analyses/methodology development and wind tunnel testing techniques.

Aerodynamic parameters of across-wind self-limiting vibration for square sections after lock-in in smooth flow

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jong-Cheng; Chang, Feng-Jung

2011-08-01

The paper aims to identify the across-wind aerodynamic parameters of two-dimensional square section structures after the lock-in stage from the response measurements of wind tunnel tests under smooth wind flow conditions. Firstly, a conceivable self-limiting model was selected from the existent literature and the revisit of the analytical solution shows that the aerodynamic parameters (linear and nonlinear aerodynamic dampings Y1 and ɛ, and aerodynamic stiffness Y2) are not only functions of the section shape and reduced wind velocity but also dependent on both the mass ratio ( mr) and structural damping ratio ( ξ) independently, rather than on the Scruton number as a whole. Secondly, the growth-to-resonance (GTR) method was adopted for identifying the aerodynamic parameters of four different square section models (DN1, DN2, DN3 and DN4) by varying the density ranging from 226 to 409 kg/m 3. To improve the accuracy of the results, numerical optimization of the curve-fitting for experimental and analytical response in time domain was performed to finalize the results. The experimental results of the across-wind self-limiting steady-state amplitudes after lock-in stage versus the reduced wind velocity show that, except the tail part of the DN1 case slightly decreases indicating a pure vortex-induced lock-in persists, the DN2, DN3 and DN4 cases have a trend of monotonically increasing with the reduced wind velocity, which shows an asymptotic combination with the galloping behavior. Due to such a combination effect, all three aerodynamic parameters decrease as the reduced wind velocity increases and asymptotically approaches to a constant at the high branch. In the DN1 case, the parameters Y1 and Y2 decrease as the reduced wind velocity increases while the parameter ɛ slightly reverses in the tail part. The 3-dimensional surface plot of the Y1, ɛ and Y2 curves further show that, excluding the DN1 case, the parameters in the DN2, DN3 and DN4 cases almost follow a

Simultaneous beam sampling and aperture shape optimization for SPORT.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarepisheh, Masoud; Li, Ruijiang; Ye, Yinyu; Xing, Lei

2015-02-01

Station parameter optimized radiation therapy (SPORT) was recently proposed to fully utilize the technical capability of emerging digital linear accelerators, in which the station parameters of a delivery system, such as aperture shape and weight, couch position/angle, gantry/collimator angle, can be optimized simultaneously. SPORT promises to deliver remarkable radiation dose distributions in an efficient manner, yet there exists no optimization algorithm for its implementation. The purpose of this work is to develop an algorithm to simultaneously optimize the beam sampling and aperture shapes. The authors build a mathematical model with the fundamental station point parameters as the decision variables. To solve the resulting large-scale optimization problem, the authors devise an effective algorithm by integrating three advanced optimization techniques: column generation, subgradient method, and pattern search. Column generation adds the most beneficial stations sequentially until the plan quality improvement saturates and provides a good starting point for the subsequent optimization. It also adds the new stations during the algorithm if beneficial. For each update resulted from column generation, the subgradient method improves the selected stations locally by reshaping the apertures and updating the beam angles toward a descent subgradient direction. The algorithm continues to improve the selected stations locally and globally by a pattern search algorithm to explore the part of search space not reachable by the subgradient method. By combining these three techniques together, all plausible combinations of station parameters are searched efficiently to yield the optimal solution. A SPORT optimization framework with seamlessly integration of three complementary algorithms, column generation, subgradient method, and pattern search, was established. The proposed technique was applied to two previously treated clinical cases: a head and neck and a prostate case

Simultaneous beam sampling and aperture shape optimization for SPORT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zarepisheh, Masoud; Li, Ruijiang; Xing, Lei, E-mail: Lei@stanford.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States); Ye, Yinyu [Department of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 (United States)

2015-02-15

Purpose: Station parameter optimized radiation therapy (SPORT) was recently proposed to fully utilize the technical capability of emerging digital linear accelerators, in which the station parameters of a delivery system, such as aperture shape and weight, couch position/angle, gantry/collimator angle, can be optimized simultaneously. SPORT promises to deliver remarkable radiation dose distributions in an efficient manner, yet there exists no optimization algorithm for its implementation. The purpose of this work is to develop an algorithm to simultaneously optimize the beam sampling and aperture shapes. Methods: The authors build a mathematical model with the fundamental station point parameters as the decision variables. To solve the resulting large-scale optimization problem, the authors devise an effective algorithm by integrating three advanced optimization techniques: column generation, subgradient method, and pattern search. Column generation adds the most beneficial stations sequentially until the plan quality improvement saturates and provides a good starting point for the subsequent optimization. It also adds the new stations during the algorithm if beneficial. For each update resulted from column generation, the subgradient method improves the selected stations locally by reshaping the apertures and updating the beam angles toward a descent subgradient direction. The algorithm continues to improve the selected stations locally and globally by a pattern search algorithm to explore the part of search space not reachable by the subgradient method. By combining these three techniques together, all plausible combinations of station parameters are searched efficiently to yield the optimal solution. Results: A SPORT optimization framework with seamlessly integration of three complementary algorithms, column generation, subgradient method, and pattern search, was established. The proposed technique was applied to two previously treated clinical cases: a head and

Simultaneous beam sampling and aperture shape optimization for SPORT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarepisheh, Masoud; Li, Ruijiang; Xing, Lei; Ye, Yinyu

2015-01-01

Purpose: Station parameter optimized radiation therapy (SPORT) was recently proposed to fully utilize the technical capability of emerging digital linear accelerators, in which the station parameters of a delivery system, such as aperture shape and weight, couch position/angle, gantry/collimator angle, can be optimized simultaneously. SPORT promises to deliver remarkable radiation dose distributions in an efficient manner, yet there exists no optimization algorithm for its implementation. The purpose of this work is to develop an algorithm to simultaneously optimize the beam sampling and aperture shapes. Methods: The authors build a mathematical model with the fundamental station point parameters as the decision variables. To solve the resulting large-scale optimization problem, the authors devise an effective algorithm by integrating three advanced optimization techniques: column generation, subgradient method, and pattern search. Column generation adds the most beneficial stations sequentially until the plan quality improvement saturates and provides a good starting point for the subsequent optimization. It also adds the new stations during the algorithm if beneficial. For each update resulted from column generation, the subgradient method improves the selected stations locally by reshaping the apertures and updating the beam angles toward a descent subgradient direction. The algorithm continues to improve the selected stations locally and globally by a pattern search algorithm to explore the part of search space not reachable by the subgradient method. By combining these three techniques together, all plausible combinations of station parameters are searched efficiently to yield the optimal solution. Results: A SPORT optimization framework with seamlessly integration of three complementary algorithms, column generation, subgradient method, and pattern search, was established. The proposed technique was applied to two previously treated clinical cases: a head and

Numerical and Experimental Validation of the Optimization Methodologies for a Wing-Tip Structure Equipped with Conventional and Morphing Ailerons =

Science.gov (United States)

Koreanschi, Andreea

the CRIAQ MDO 505 project for convergence speed by introducing a two-step cross-over function. Structural constraints were introduced in the algorithm at each aero-structural optimization interaction, allowing a better manipulation of the algorithm and giving it more capabilities of morphing combinations. The CRIAQ MDO 505 project envisioned a morphing aileron concept for the morphing upper surface wing. For this morphing aileron concept, two optimization methods were developed. The methods used the already developed genetic algorithm and each method had a different design concept. The first method was based on the morphing upper surface concept, using actuation points to achieve the desired shape. The second method was based on the hinge rotation concept of the conventional aileron but applied at multiple nodes along the aileron camber to achieve the desired shape. Both methods were constrained by manufacturing and aerodynamic requirements. The purpose of the morphing aileron methods was to obtain an aileron shape with a smoother pressure distribution gradient during deflection than the conventional aileron. The aerodynamic optimization results were used for the structural optimization and design of the wing, particularly the flexible composite skin. Due to the structural changes performed on the initial wing-tip structure, an aeroelastic behaviour analysis, more specific on flutter phenomenon, was performed. The analyses were done to ensure the structural integrity of the wing-tip demonstrator during wind tunnel tests. Three wind tunnel tests were performed for the CRIAQ MDO 505 wing-tip demonstrator at the IAR-NRC subsonic wind tunnel facility in Ottawa. The first two tests were performed for the wing-tip equipped with conventional aileron. The purpose of these tests was to validate the control system designed for the morphing upper surface, the numerical optimization and aerodynamic analysis and to evaluate the optimization efficiency on the boundary layer

Preliminary Aerodynamic Investigation of Fan Rotor Blade Morphing

Science.gov (United States)

Tweedt, Daniel L.

2012-01-01

Various new technologies currently under development may enable controlled blade shape variability, or so-called blade morphing, to be practically employed in aircraft engine fans and compressors in the foreseeable future. The current study is a relatively brief, preliminary computational fluid dynamics investigation aimed at partially demonstrating and quantifying the aerodynamic potential of fan rotor blade morphing. The investigation is intended to provide information useful for near-term planning, as well as aerodynamic solution data sets that can be subsequently analyzed using advanced acoustic diagnostic tools, for the purpose of making fan noise comparisons. Two existing fan system models serve as baselines for the investigation: the Advanced Ducted Propulsor fan with a design tip speed of 806 ft/sec and a pressure ratio of 1.294, and the Source Diagnostic Test fan with a design tip speed of 1215 ft/sec and a pressure ratio of 1.470. Both are 22-in. sub-scale, low-noise research fan/nacelle models that have undergone extensive experimental testing in the 9- by 15-foot Low Speed Wind Tunnel at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The study, restricted to fan rotor blade morphing only, involves a fairly simple blade morphing technique. Specifically, spanwise-linear variations in rotor blade-section setting angle are applied to alter the blade shape; that is, the blade is linearly retwisted from hub to tip. Aerodynamic performance comparisons are made between morphed-blade and corresponding baseline configurations on the basis of equal fan system thrust, where rotor rotational speed for the morphed-blade fan is varied to change the thrust level for that configuration. The results of the investigation confirm that rotor blade morphing could be a useful technology, with the potential to enable significant improvements in fan aerodynamic performance. Even though the study is very limited in scope and confined to simple geometric perturbations of two existing fan

Comparing aerodynamic efficiency in birds and bats suggests better flight performance in birds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian T Muijres

Full Text Available Flight is one of the energetically most costly activities in the animal kingdom, suggesting that natural selection should work to optimize flight performance. The similar size and flight speed of birds and bats may therefore suggest convergent aerodynamic performance; alternatively, flight performance could be restricted by phylogenetic constraints. We test which of these scenarios fit to two measures of aerodynamic flight efficiency in two passerine bird species and two New World leaf-nosed bat species. Using time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements of the wake of the animals flying in a wind tunnel, we derived the span efficiency, a metric for the efficiency of generating lift, and the lift-to-drag ratio, a metric for mechanical energetic flight efficiency. We show that the birds significantly outperform the bats in both metrics, which we ascribe to variation in aerodynamic function of body and wing upstroke: Bird bodies generated relatively more lift than bat bodies, resulting in a more uniform spanwise lift distribution and higher span efficiency. A likely explanation would be that the bat ears and nose leaf, associated with echolocation, disturb the flow over the body. During the upstroke, the birds retract their wings to make them aerodynamically inactive, while the membranous bat wings generate thrust and negative lift. Despite the differences in performance, the wake morphology of both birds and bats resemble the optimal wake for their respective lift-to-drag ratio regimes. This suggests that evolution has optimized performance relative to the respective conditions of birds and bats, but that maximum performance is possibly limited by phylogenetic constraints. Although ecological differences between birds and bats are subjected to many conspiring variables, the different aerodynamic flight efficiency for the bird and bat species studied here may help explain why birds typically fly faster, migrate more frequently and migrate

Comparing aerodynamic efficiency in birds and bats suggests better flight performance in birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Muijres, Florian T; Johansson, L Christoffer; Bowlin, Melissa S; Winter, York; Hedenström, Anders

2012-01-01

Flight is one of the energetically most costly activities in the animal kingdom, suggesting that natural selection should work to optimize flight performance. The similar size and flight speed of birds and bats may therefore suggest convergent aerodynamic performance; alternatively, flight performance could be restricted by phylogenetic constraints. We test which of these scenarios fit to two measures of aerodynamic flight efficiency in two passerine bird species and two New World leaf-nosed bat species. Using time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements of the wake of the animals flying in a wind tunnel, we derived the span efficiency, a metric for the efficiency of generating lift, and the lift-to-drag ratio, a metric for mechanical energetic flight efficiency. We show that the birds significantly outperform the bats in both metrics, which we ascribe to variation in aerodynamic function of body and wing upstroke: Bird bodies generated relatively more lift than bat bodies, resulting in a more uniform spanwise lift distribution and higher span efficiency. A likely explanation would be that the bat ears and nose leaf, associated with echolocation, disturb the flow over the body. During the upstroke, the birds retract their wings to make them aerodynamically inactive, while the membranous bat wings generate thrust and negative lift. Despite the differences in performance, the wake morphology of both birds and bats resemble the optimal wake for their respective lift-to-drag ratio regimes. This suggests that evolution has optimized performance relative to the respective conditions of birds and bats, but that maximum performance is possibly limited by phylogenetic constraints. Although ecological differences between birds and bats are subjected to many conspiring variables, the different aerodynamic flight efficiency for the bird and bat species studied here may help explain why birds typically fly faster, migrate more frequently and migrate longer distances

PREFACE: Aerodynamic sound Aerodynamic sound

Science.gov (United States)

Akishita, Sadao

2010-02-01

The modern theory of aerodynamic sound originates from Lighthill's two papers in 1952 and 1954, as is well known. I have heard that Lighthill was motivated in writing the papers by the jet-noise emitted by the newly commercialized jet-engined airplanes at that time. The technology of aerodynamic sound is destined for environmental problems. Therefore the theory should always be applied to newly emerged public nuisances. This issue of Fluid Dynamics Research (FDR) reflects problems of environmental sound in present Japanese technology. The Japanese community studying aerodynamic sound has held an annual symposium since 29 years ago when the late Professor S Kotake and Professor S Kaji of Teikyo University organized the symposium. Most of the Japanese authors in this issue are members of the annual symposium. I should note the contribution of the two professors cited above in establishing the Japanese community of aerodynamic sound research. It is my pleasure to present the publication in this issue of ten papers discussed at the annual symposium. I would like to express many thanks to the Editorial Board of FDR for giving us the chance to contribute these papers. We have a review paper by T Suzuki on the study of jet noise, which continues to be important nowadays, and is expected to reform the theoretical model of generating mechanisms. Professor M S Howe and R S McGowan contribute an analytical paper, a valuable study in today's fluid dynamics research. They apply hydrodynamics to solve the compressible flow generated in the vocal cords of the human body. Experimental study continues to be the main methodology in aerodynamic sound, and it is expected to explore new horizons. H Fujita's study on the Aeolian tone provides a new viewpoint on major, longstanding sound problems. The paper by M Nishimura and T Goto on textile fabrics describes new technology for the effective reduction of bluff-body noise. The paper by T Sueki et al also reports new technology for the

Aero-Thermo-Structural Design Optimization of Internally Cooled Turbine Blades

Science.gov (United States)

Dulikravich, G. S.; Martin, T. J.; Dennis, B. H.; Lee, E.; Han, Z.-X.

1999-01-01

A set of robust and computationally affordable inverse shape design and automatic constrained optimization tools have been developed for the improved performance of internally cooled gas turbine blades. The design methods are applicable to the aerodynamics, heat transfer, and thermoelasticity aspects of the turbine blade. Maximum use of the existing proven disciplinary analysis codes is possible with this design approach. Preliminary computational results demonstrate possibilities to design blades with minimized total pressure loss and maximized aerodynamic loading. At the same time, these blades are capable of sustaining significantly higher inlet hot gas temperatures while requiring remarkably lower coolant mass flow rates. These results suggest that it is possible to design internally cooled turbine blades that will cost less to manufacture, will have longer life span, and will perform as good, if not better than, film cooled turbine blades.

Elemental study of aerodynamic profile

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montanero, J. M.

2001-01-01

In teaching fluid Mechanics, it would be convenient to provide the students with simple theoretical tools which allow them to deal with real and of technological interest situations. For instance, the apparently simple fluid motion around wing sections of arbitrary shape can not be overcome by using the mathematical methods available for students. In this article we present a simple theoretical procedure to analyze this problem. In the proposed method the role played by the analytical and numerical calculations are greatly reduced in order to emphasize the purely aerodynamic concepts. (Author) 3 refs. 001ES0100130

Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong Zhou

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator.

Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Ye, Peiqing

2016-01-01

Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator. PMID:27110274

Lateral Penumbra Modelling Based Leaf End Shape Optimization for Multileaf Collimator in Radiotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Dong; Zhang, Hui; Ye, Peiqing

2016-01-01

Lateral penumbra of multileaf collimator plays an important role in radiotherapy treatment planning. Growing evidence has revealed that, for a single-focused multileaf collimator, lateral penumbra width is leaf position dependent and largely attributed to the leaf end shape. In our study, an analytical method for leaf end induced lateral penumbra modelling is formulated using Tangent Secant Theory. Compared with Monte Carlo simulation and ray tracing algorithm, our model serves well the purpose of cost-efficient penumbra evaluation. Leaf ends represented in parametric forms of circular arc, elliptical arc, Bézier curve, and B-spline are implemented. With biobjective function of penumbra mean and variance introduced, genetic algorithm is carried out for approximating the Pareto frontier. Results show that for circular arc leaf end objective function is convex and convergence to optimal solution is guaranteed using gradient based iterative method. It is found that optimal leaf end in the shape of Bézier curve achieves minimal standard deviation, while using B-spline minimum of penumbra mean is obtained. For treatment modalities in clinical application, optimized leaf ends are in close agreement with actual shapes. Taken together, the method that we propose can provide insight into leaf end shape design of multileaf collimator.

Enveloping Aerodynamic Decelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Nock, Kerry T. (Inventor); Aaron, Kim M. (Inventor); McRonald, Angus D. (Inventor); Gates, Kristin L. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

An inflatable aerodynamic deceleration method and system is provided for use with an atmospheric entry payload. The inflatable aerodynamic decelerator includes an inflatable envelope and an inflatant, wherein the inflatant is configured to fill the inflatable envelope to an inflated state such that the inflatable envelope surrounds the atmospheric entry payload, causing aerodynamic forces to decelerate the atmospheric entry payload.

Aeroelastic Modeling of Elastically Shaped Aircraft Concept via Wing Shaping Control for Drag Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Nhan; James Urnes, Sr.

2012-01-01

Lightweight aircraft design has received a considerable attention in recent years as a means for improving cruise efficiency. Reducing aircraft weight results in lower lift requirements which directly translate into lower drag, hence reduced engine thrust requirements during cruise. The use of lightweight materials such as advanced composite materials has been adopted by airframe manufacturers in current and future aircraft. Modern lightweight materials can provide less structural rigidity while maintaining load-carrying capacity. As structural flexibility increases, aeroelastic interactions with aerodynamic forces and moments become an increasingly important consideration in aircraft design and aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, aeroelastic interactions with flight dynamics can result in issues with vehicle stability and control. Abstract This paper describes a recent aeroelastic modeling effort for an elastically shaped aircraft concept (ESAC). The aircraft model is based on the rigid-body generic transport model (GTM) originally developed at NASA Langley Research Center. The ESAC distinguishes itself from the GTM in that it is equipped with highly flexible wing structures as a weight reduction design feature. More significantly, the wings are outfitted with a novel control effector concept called variable camber continuous trailing edge (VCCTE) flap system for active control of wing aeroelastic deflections to optimize the local angle of attack of wing sections for improved aerodynamic efficiency through cruise drag reduction and lift enhancement during take-off and landing. The VCCTE flap is a multi-functional and aerodynamically efficient device capable of achieving high lift-to-drag ratios. The flap system is comprised of three chordwise segments that form the variable camber feature of the flap and multiple spanwise segments that form a piecewise continuous trailing edge. By configuring the flap camber and trailing edge shape, drag reduction could be

Flight Test Maneuvers for Efficient Aerodynamic Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Eugene A.

2011-01-01

Novel flight test maneuvers for efficient aerodynamic modeling were developed and demonstrated in flight. Orthogonal optimized multi-sine inputs were applied to aircraft control surfaces to excite aircraft dynamic response in all six degrees of freedom simultaneously while keeping the aircraft close to chosen reference flight conditions. Each maneuver was designed for a specific modeling task that cannot be adequately or efficiently accomplished using conventional flight test maneuvers. All of the new maneuvers were first described and explained, then demonstrated on a subscale jet transport aircraft in flight. Real-time and post-flight modeling results obtained using equation-error parameter estimation in the frequency domain were used to show the effectiveness and efficiency of the new maneuvers, as well as the quality of the aerodynamic models that can be identified from the resultant flight data.

Aerodynamics and thermal physics of helicopter ice accretion

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Yiqiang

Ice accretion on aircraft introduces significant loss in airfoil performance. Reduced lift-to- drag ratio reduces the vehicle capability to maintain altitude and also limits its maneuverability. Current ice accretion performance degradation modeling approaches are calibrated only to a limited envelope of liquid water content, impact velocity, temperature, and water droplet size; consequently inaccurate aerodynamic performance degradations are estimated. The reduced ice accretion prediction capabilities in the glaze ice regime are primarily due to a lack of knowledge of surface roughness induced by ice accretion. A comprehensive understanding of the ice roughness effects on airfoil heat transfer, ice accretion shapes, and ultimately aerodynamics performance is critical for the design of ice protection systems. Surface roughness effects on both heat transfer and aerodynamic performance degradation on airfoils have been experimentally evaluated. Novel techniques, such as ice molding and casting methods and transient heat transfer measurement using non-intrusive thermal imaging methods, were developed at the Adverse Environment Rotor Test Stand (AERTS) facility at Penn State. A novel heat transfer scaling method specifically for turbulent flow regime was also conceived. A heat transfer scaling parameter, labeled as Coefficient of Stanton and Reynolds Number (CSR = Stx/Rex --0.2), has been validated against reference data found in the literature for rough flat plates with Reynolds number (Re) up to 1x107, for rough cylinders with Re ranging from 3x104 to 4x106, and for turbine blades with Re from 7.5x105 to 7x106. This is the first time that the effect of Reynolds number is shown to be successfully eliminated on heat transfer magnitudes measured on rough surfaces. Analytical models for ice roughness distribution, heat transfer prediction, and aerodynamics performance degradation due to ice accretion have also been developed. The ice roughness prediction model was

Optimization and control of the plasma shape and current profile in noncircular cross-section tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, R.W.; Bernard, L.C.; Chan, V.S.; Davidson, R.H.; Dobrott, D.R.; Helton, F.J.; Miller, R.L.; Pfeiffer, W.; Waltz, R.E.; Wang, T.S.

1980-06-01

High-β equilibria which are stable to all ideal MHD modes are found by optimizing the plasma shape and current profile for doublets, up-down asymmetric dees, and symmetric dees. The ideal MHD stability of these equilibria for low toroidal mode number n is analyzed with a global MHD stability code, GATO. The stability to high-n modes is analyzed with a localized ballooning code, BLOON. The attainment of high β is facilitated by an automated optimization search on shape and current parameters. The equilibria are calculated with a free-boundary equilibrium code using coils appropriate for the Doublet III experimental device. The optimal equilibria are characterized by broad current profiles with values of β/sub poloidal/ approx. =1. Experimental realization of the shapes and current profiles giving the highest β limits is explored with a 1 1/2-D transport code, which simulates the time evolution of the 2-D MHD equilibrium while calculating consistent current profiles from a 1-D transport model. Transport simulations indicate that nearly optimal shapes may be obtained provided that the currents in the field-shaping coils are appropriately programmed and the plasma current profile is sufficiently broad. Obtaining broad current profiles is possible by current ramping, neutral beam heating, and electron cyclotron heating. With combinations of these techniques it is possible to approach the optimum β predicted by the MHD theory

Engineering models in wind energy aerodynamics : Development, implementation and analysis using dedicated aerodynamic measurements

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schepers, J.G.

2012-01-01

The subject of aerodynamics is of major importance for the successful deployment of wind energy. As a matter of fact there are two aerodynamic areas in the wind energy technology: Rotor aerodynamics and wind farm aerodynamics. The first subject considers the flow around the rotor and the second

Topology Optimization of Shape Memory Alloy Actuators using Element Connectivity Parameterization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langelaar, Matthijs; Yoon, Gil Ho; Kim, Yoon Young

2005-01-01

This paper presents the first application of topology optimization to the design of shape memory alloy actuators. Shape memory alloys (SMA’s) exhibit strongly nonlinear, temperature-dependent material behavior. The complexity in the constitutive behavior makes the topology design of SMA structure......) stiffness matrix of continuum finite elements. Therefore, any finite element code, including commercial codes, can be readily used for the ECP implementation. The key ideas and characteristics of these methods will be presented in this paper....

Synergism between profile and cross section shape optimization for negative central shear advanced tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turnbull, A.D.; Taylor, T.S.; Lao, L.L.

1996-01-01

The Advanced Tokamak (AT) concept is aimed at achieving high beta, high confinement, and a well aligned high bootstrap current fraction in a tokamak configuration consistent with steady state operation. The required improvements over the simple O-D scaling laws, normally used to predict standard, pulsed tokamak performance, axe obtained by taking into account the dependence of the stability and confinement on the 2-D equilibrium; the planned TPX experiment was designed to take full advantage of both advanced profiles and advanced cross-section shaping. Systematic stability studies of the promising Negative Central Shear (NCS) configuration have been performed for a wide variety of cross-section shapes and profile variations. The ideal MHD beta limit is found to be strongly dependent on both and, in fact, there is a clear synergistic relationship between the gains in beta from optimizing the profiles and optimizing the shape. Specifically, for a circular cross-section with highly peaked profiles, β is limited to normalized β values of β N = β/(I/aB) ∼ 2% (mT/MA). A small gain in beta can be achieved by broadening the pressure; however, the root-mean-square beta (β*) is slightly reduced. With peaked pressure profiles, a small increase in β N over that in a circular cross-section is also obtained by strong shaping. At fixed q, this translates to a much larger gain in β and β*. With both optimal profiles and strong shaping, however, the gain in all the relevant fusion performance parameters is dramatic; β and β* can be increased a factor 5 for example. Moreover, the bootstrap alignment is improved. For an optimized strongly shaped configuration, confinement, beta values, and bootstrap alignment adequate for a practical AT power plant appear to be realizable. Data from DIII-D supports these predictions and analysis of the DIII-D data will be presented

Optimal pitching axis location of flapping wings for efficient hovering flight.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Q; Goosen, J F L; van Keulen, F

2017-09-01

Flapping wings can pitch passively about their pitching axes due to their flexibility, inertia, and aerodynamic loads. A shift in the pitching axis location can dynamically alter the aerodynamic loads, which in turn changes the passive pitching motion and the flight efficiency. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate the optimal pitching axis for flapping wings to maximize the power efficiency during hovering flight. In this study, flapping wings are modeled as rigid plates with non-uniform mass distribution. The wing flexibility is represented by a linearly torsional spring at the wing root. A predictive quasi-steady aerodynamic model is used to evaluate the lift generated by such wings. Two extreme power consumption scenarios are modeled for hovering flight, i.e. the power consumed by a drive system with and without the capacity of kinetic energy recovery. For wings with different shapes, the optimal pitching axis location is found such that the cycle-averaged power consumption during hovering flight is minimized. Optimization results show that the optimal pitching axis is located between the leading edge and the mid-chord line, which shows close resemblance to insect wings. An optimal pitching axis can save up to 33% of power during hovering flight when compared to traditional wings used by most of flapping wing micro air vehicles (FWMAVs). Traditional wings typically use the straight leading edge as the pitching axis. With the optimized pitching axis, flapping wings show higher pitching amplitudes and start the pitching reversals in advance of the sweeping reversals. These phenomena lead to higher lift-to-drag ratios and, thus, explain the lower power consumption. In addition, the optimized pitching axis provides the drive system higher potential to recycle energy during the deceleration phases as compared to their counterparts. This observation underlines the particular importance of the wing pitching axis location for energy-efficient FWMAVs when

Development of multi-element active aerodynamics for the formula sae car

Science.gov (United States)

Merkel, James Patrick

This thesis focuses on the design, development, and implementation of an active aerodynamics system on 2013 Formula SAE car. The aerodynamics package itself consists of five element front and rear wings as well as an under body diffuser. Five element wings produce significant amounts of drag which is a compromise between the cornering ability of the car and the acceleration capability on straights. The active aerodynamics system allows for the wing angle of attack to dynamically change their configuration on track based on sensory data to optimize the wings for any given scenario. The wings are studied using computational fluid dynamics both in their maximum lift configuration as well as a minimum drag configuration. A control system is then developed using an electro mechanical actuation system to articulate the wings between these two states.

Tactical missile aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Hemsch, Michael J. (Editor); Nielsen, Jack N. (Editor)

1986-01-01

The present conference on tactical missile aerodynamics discusses autopilot-related aerodynamic design considerations, flow visualization methods' role in the study of high angle-of-attack aerodynamics, low aspect ratio wing behavior at high angle-of-attack, supersonic airbreathing propulsion system inlet design, missile bodies with noncircular cross section and bank-to-turn maneuvering capabilities, 'waverider' supersonic cruise missile concepts and design methods, asymmetric vortex sheding phenomena from bodies-of-revolution, and swept shock wave/boundary layer interaction phenomena. Also discussed are the assessment of aerodynamic drag in tactical missiles, the analysis of supersonic missile aerodynamic heating, the 'equivalent angle-of-attack' concept for engineering analysis, the vortex cloud model for body vortex shedding and tracking, paneling methods with vorticity effects and corrections for nonlinear compressibility, the application of supersonic full potential method to missile bodies, Euler space marching methods for missiles, three-dimensional missile boundary layers, and an analysis of exhaust plumes and their interaction with missile airframes.

Actuator Location and Voltages Optimization for Shape Control of Smart Beams Using Genetic Algorithms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgios E. Stavroulakis

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a numerical study on optimal voltages and optimal placement of piezoelectric actuators for shape control of beam structures. A finite element model, based on Timoshenko beam theory, is developed to characterize the behavior of the structure and the actuators. This model accounted for the electromechanical coupling in the entire beam structure, due to the fact that the piezoelectric layers are treated as constituent parts of the entire structural system. A hybrid scheme is presented based on great deluge and genetic algorithm. The hybrid algorithm is implemented to calculate the optimal locations and optimal values of voltages, applied to the piezoelectric actuators glued in the structure, which minimize the error between the achieved and the desired shape. Results from numerical simulations demonstrate the capabilities and efficiency of the developed optimization algorithm in both clamped−free and clamped−clamped beam problems are presented.

A Quantitative Comparison Between Size, Shape, Topology and Simultaneous Optimization for Truss Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T.E. Müller

Full Text Available Abstract There are typically three broad categories of structural optimization namely size, shape and topology. Over the past few decades various researchers have focused on developing techniques for optimizing structures by considering either one or a combination of these aspects. In this paper the efficiency of these techniques are investigated in an effort to quantify the improvement of the result obtained by utilizing a more complex optimization routine. The percentage of the structural weight saved and computational effort required are used as measures to compare these techniques. The well-known genetic algorithm with elitism is used to perform these tests on various benchmark structures found in literature. Some of the results that are obtained include that a simultaneous approach produces, on average, a 22 % better solution than a simple size optimization and a 12 % improvement when compared to a staged approach where the size, shape and topology of the structure is considered sequentially. From these results, it is concluded that a significant saving can be made by using a more complex optimization routine, such as a simultaneous approach.

On the shape optimization of flapping wings and their performance analysis

KAUST Repository

Ghommem, Mehdi; Collier, Nathan; Niemi, Antti H.; Calo, Victor M.

2014-01-01

procedure and provide the first methodology to select properly the mesh and time-step sizes to achieve invariant UVLM simulation results under mesh refinement. Our objective is to identify a set of optimized shapes that maximize the propulsive efficiency

Performance characteristics of aerodynamically optimum turbines for wind energy generators

Science.gov (United States)

Rohrbach, C.; Worobel, R.

1975-01-01

This paper presents a brief discussion of the aerodynamic methodology for wind energy generator turbines, an approach to the design of aerodynamically optimum wind turbines covering a broad range of design parameters, some insight on the effect on performance of nonoptimum blade shapes which may represent lower fabrication costs, the annual wind turbine energy for a family of optimum wind turbines, and areas of needed research. On the basis of the investigation, it is concluded that optimum wind turbines show high performance over a wide range of design velocity ratios; that structural requirements impose constraints on blade geometry; that variable pitch wind turbines provide excellent power regulation and that annual energy output is insensitive to design rpm and solidity of optimum wind turbines.

Optimization and design of an aircraft's morphing wing-tip demonstrator for drag reduction at low speeds, Part II - Experimental validation using Infra-Red transition measurement from Wind Tunnel tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea Koreanschi

2017-02-01

Full Text Available In the present paper, an ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm was numerically and experimentally validated. The genetic algorithm was applied to an optimization problem for improving the aerodynamic performances of an aircraft wing tip through upper surface morphing. The optimization was performed for 16 flight cases expressed in terms of various combinations of speeds, angles of attack and aileron deflections. The displacements resulted from the optimization were used during the wind tunnel tests of the wing tip demonstrator for the actuators control to change the upper surface shape of the wing. The results of the optimization of the flow behavior for the airfoil morphing upper-surface problem were validated with wind tunnel experimental transition results obtained with infra-red Thermography on the wing-tip demonstrator. The validation proved that the 2D numerical optimization using the ‘in-house’ genetic algorithm was an appropriate tool in improving various aspects of a wing’s aerodynamic performances.

Site specific optimization of wind turbines energy cost: Iterative approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezaei Mirghaed, Mohammad; Roshandel, Ramin

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Optimization model of wind turbine parameters plus rectangular farm layout is developed. • Results show that levelized cost for single turbine fluctuates between 46.6 and 54.5 $/MW h. • Modeling results for two specific farms reported optimal sizing and farm layout. • Results show that levelized cost of the wind farms fluctuates between 45.8 and 67.2 $/MW h. - Abstract: The present study was aimed at developing a model to optimize the sizing parameters and farm layout of wind turbines according to the wind resource and economic aspects. The proposed model, including aerodynamic, economic and optimization sub-models, is used to achieve minimum levelized cost of electricity. The blade element momentum theory is utilized for aerodynamic modeling of pitch-regulated horizontal axis wind turbines. Also, a comprehensive cost model including capital costs of all turbine components is considered. An iterative approach is used to develop the optimization model. The modeling results are presented for three potential regions in Iran: Khaf, Ahar and Manjil. The optimum configurations and sizing for a single turbine with minimum levelized cost of electricity are presented. The optimal cost of energy for one turbine is calculated about 46.7, 54.5 and 46.6 dollars per MW h in the studied sites, respectively. In addition, optimal size of turbines, annual electricity production, capital cost, and wind farm layout for two different rectangular and square shaped farms in the proposed areas have been recognized. According to the results, optimal system configuration corresponds to minimum levelized cost of electricity about 45.8 to 67.2 dollars per MW h in the studied wind farms

Experimental Investigation of the Aerodynamic Ground Effect of a Tailless Lambda-Shaped UCAV with Wing Flaps

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Mostaccio, Jason T

2006-01-01

.... The following study extends the existing database by analyzing the inherent aerodynamic behavior that is produced by employing trailing edge flap deflections while flying in-ground-effect (IGE...

Variable volume combustor with aerodynamic support struts

Science.gov (United States)

Ostebee, Heath Michael; Johnson, Thomas Edward; Stewart, Jason Thurman; Keener, Christopher Paul

2017-03-07

The present application provides a combustor for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustor may include a number of micro-mixer fuel nozzles and a fuel injection system for providing a flow of fuel to the micro-mixer fuel nozzles. The fuel injection system may include a number of support struts supporting the fuel nozzles and providing the flow of fuel therethrough. The support struts may include an aerodynamic contoured shape so as to distribute evenly a flow of air to the micro-mixer fuel nozzles.

Optimization of tokamak plasma equilibrium shape using parallel genetic algorithms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhulin An; Bin Wu; Lijian Qiu

2006-01-01

In the device of non-circular cross sectional tokamaks, the plasma equilibrium shape has a strong influence on the confinement and MHD stability. The plasma equilibrium shape is determined by the configuration of the poloidal field (PF) system. Usually there are many PF systems that could support the specified plasma equilibrium, the differences are the number of coils used, their positions, sizes and currents. It is necessary to find the optimal choice that meets the engineering constrains, which is often done by a constrained optimization. The Genetic Algorithms (GAs) based method has been used to solve the problem of the optimization, but the time complexity limits the algorithms to become widely used. Due to the large search space that the optimization has, it takes several hours to get a nice result. The inherent parallelism in GAs can be exploited to enhance their search efficiency. In this paper, we introduce a parallel genetic algorithms (PGAs) based approach which can reduce the computational time. The algorithm has a master-slave structure, the slave explore the search space separately and return the results to the master. A program is also developed, and it can be running on any computers which support massage passing interface. Both the algorithm and the program are detailed discussed in the paper. We also include an application that uses the program to determine the positions and currents of PF coils in EAST. The program reach the target value within half an hour and yield a speedup rate of 5.21 on 8 CPUs. (author)

Improving bending stress in spur gears using asymmetric gears and shape optimization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Leergaard

2010-01-01

Bending stress plays a significant role in gear design wherein its magnitude is controlled by the nominal bending stress and the stress concentration due to the geometrical shape. The bending stress is indirectly related to shape changes made to the cutting tool. This work shows that the bending...... stress can be reduced significantly by using asymmetric gear teeth and by shape optimizing the gear through changes made to the tool geometry. However, to obtain the largest possible stress reduction a custom tool must be designed depending on the number of teeth, but the stress reductions found...

Integrated aerodynamic-structural design of a forward-swept transport wing

Science.gov (United States)

Haftka, Raphael T.; Grossman, Bernard; Kao, Pi-Jen; Polen, David M.; Sobieszczanski-Sobieski, Jaroslaw

1989-01-01

The introduction of composite materials is having a profound effect on aircraft design. Since these materials permit the designer to tailor material properties to improve structural, aerodynamic and acoustic performance, they require an integrated multidisciplinary design process. Futhermore, because of the complexity of the design process, numerical optimization methods are required. The utilization of integrated multidisciplinary design procedures for improving aircraft design is not currently feasible because of software coordination problems and the enormous computational burden. Even with the expected rapid growth of supercomputers and parallel architectures, these tasks will not be practical without the development of efficient methods for cross-disciplinary sensitivities and efficient optimization procedures. The present research is part of an on-going effort which is focused on the processes of simultaneous aerodynamic and structural wing design as a prototype for design integration. A sequence of integrated wing design procedures has been developed in order to investigate various aspects of the design process.

BLANK SHAPE OPTIMIZATION ON DEEP DRAWING OF A TWIN ELLIPTICAL CUP USING THE REDUCED BASIS TECHNIQUE METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahdi Hasanzadeh Golshani

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this project thesis, initial blank shape optimization of a twin elliptical cup to reduce earring phenomenon in anisotropic sheet deep drawing process was studied .The purpose of this study is optimization of initial blank for reduction of the ears height value. The optimization process carried out using finite element method approach, which is coupled with Taguchi design of experiments and reduced basis technique methods. The deep drawing process was simulated in FEM software ABAQUS 6.12. The results of optimization show earring height and, in addition, a number of design variables and time of process can be reduced by using this methods. After optimization process with the proposed method, the maximum reduction of the earring height would be from 21.08 mm to 0.07 mm and also it could be reduced to 0 in some of the directions. The proposed optimization design in this article allows the designers to select the practical basis shapes. This leads to obtain better results at the end of the optimization process, to reduce design variables, and also to prevent repeating the optimization steps for indirect shapes.

Flow field analysis of a pentagonal-shaped bridge deck by unsteady RANS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md. Naimul Haque

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Long-span cable-stayed bridges are susceptible to dynamic wind effects due to their inherent flexibility. The fluid flow around the bridge deck should be well understood for the efficient design of an aerodynamically stable long-span bridge system. In this work, the aerodynamic features of a pentagonal-shaped bridge deck are explored numerically. The analytical results are compared with past experimental work to assess the capability of two-dimensional unsteady RANS simulation for predicting the aerodynamic features of this type of deck. The influence of the bottom plate slope on aerodynamic response and flow features was investigated. By varying the Reynolds number (2 × 104 to 20 × 104 the aerodynamic behavior at high wind speeds is clarified.

Effects of ice accretion on the aerodynamics of bridge cables

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demartino, C.; Koss, Holger; Georgakis, Christos T.

2015-01-01

and stay cables. The aim of this paper is twofold; first, it was investigated the ice accretion process and the final shape of the ice accreted; then the aerodynamics of the ice accreted bridge cables was characterized, and related to the ice shape. Different climatic conditions, i.e. combinations...... of temperature, wind speed and yaw angle of accretion, were reproduced in a climatic wind tunnel, giving rise to different types of accretion. These were chosen such to generate the most common natural ice formations expected to produce bridge cable vibrations. A description of the geometric characteristics...

In vivo measurement of aerodynamic weight support in freely flying birds

Science.gov (United States)

Lentink, David; Haselsteiner, Andreas; Ingersoll, Rivers

2014-11-01

Birds dynamically change the shape of their wing during the stroke to support their body weight aerodynamically. The wing is partially folded during the upstroke, which suggests that the upstroke of birds might not actively contribute to aerodynamic force production. This hypothesis is supported by the significant mass difference between the large pectoralis muscle that powers the down-stroke and the much smaller supracoracoideus that drives the upstroke. Previous works used indirect or incomplete techniques to measure the total force generated by bird wings ranging from muscle force, airflow, wing surface pressure, to detailed kinematics measurements coupled with bird mass-distribution models to derive net force through second derivatives. We have validated a new method that measures aerodynamic force in vivo time-resolved directly in freely flying birds which can resolve this question. The validation of the method, using independent force measurements on a quadcopter with pulsating thrust, show the aerodynamic force and impulse are measured within 2% accuracy and time-resolved. We demonstrate results for quad-copters and birds of similar weight and size. The method is scalable and can be applied to both engineered and natural flyers across taxa. The first author invented the method, the second and third authors validated the method and present results for quadcopters and birds.

Shape optimization for non-Newtonian fluids in time-dependent domains

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sokolowski, J.; Stebel, Jan

2014-01-01

Roč. 3, č. 2 (2014), s. 331-348 ISSN 2163-2480 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/0917 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : shape optimization * time - dependent domain * incompressible viscous fluid Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.373, year: 2014 http://www.aimsciences.org/journals/home.jsp?journalID=25

Shape optimization for non-Newtonian fluids in time-dependent domains

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sokolowski, J.; Stebel, Jan

2014-01-01

Roč. 3, č. 2 (2014), s. 331-348 ISSN 2163-2480 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/0917 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : shape optimization * time-dependent domain * incompressible viscous fluid Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.373, year: 2014 http://www.aimsciences.org/journals/home.jsp?journalID=25

Shape optimization of the stokes flow problem based on isogeometric analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Park, Byong-Ug; Seo, Yu-Deok; Sigmund, Ole

2013-01-01

Design-dependent loads related to boundary shape, such as pressure and convection loads, have been a challenging issue in optimization. Isogeometric analysis, where the analysis model has smooth boundaries described by spline functions can handle design-dependent loads with ease. In the present s...

Airfoil optimization for unsteady flows with application to high-lift noise reduction

Science.gov (United States)

Rumpfkeil, Markus Peer

The use of steady-state aerodynamic optimization methods in the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) community is fairly well established. In particular, the use of adjoint methods has proven to be very beneficial because their cost is independent of the number of design variables. The application of numerical optimization to airframe-generated noise, however, has not received as much attention, but with the significant quieting of modern engines, airframe noise now competes with engine noise. Optimal control techniques for unsteady flows are needed in order to be able to reduce airframe-generated noise. In this thesis, a general framework is formulated to calculate the gradient of a cost function in a nonlinear unsteady flow environment via the discrete adjoint method. The unsteady optimization algorithm developed in this work utilizes a Newton-Krylov approach since the gradient-based optimizer uses the quasi-Newton method BFGS, Newton's method is applied to the nonlinear flow problem, GMRES is used to solve the resulting linear problem inexactly, and last but not least the linear adjoint problem is solved using Bi-CGSTAB. The flow is governed by the unsteady two-dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes equations in conjunction with a one-equation turbulence model, which are discretized using structured grids and a finite difference approach. The effectiveness of the unsteady optimization algorithm is demonstrated by applying it to several problems of interest including shocktubes, pulses in converging-diverging nozzles, rotating cylinders, transonic buffeting, and an unsteady trailing-edge flow. In order to address radiated far-field noise, an acoustic wave propagation program based on the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) formulation is implemented and validated. The general framework is then used to derive the adjoint equations for a novel hybrid URANS/FW-H optimization algorithm in order to be able to optimize the shape of airfoils based on their calculated far

Shape optimization of self-avoiding curves

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Shawn W.

2016-04-01

This paper presents a softened notion of proximity (or self-avoidance) for curves. We then derive a sensitivity result, based on shape differential calculus, for the proximity. This is combined with a gradient-based optimization approach to compute three-dimensional, parameterized curves that minimize the sum of an elastic (bending) energy and a proximity energy that maintains self-avoidance by a penalization technique. Minimizers are computed by a sequential-quadratic-programming (SQP) method where the bending energy and proximity energy are approximated by a finite element method. We then apply this method to two problems. First, we simulate adsorbed polymer strands that are constrained to be bound to a surface and be (locally) inextensible. This is a basic model of semi-flexible polymers adsorbed onto a surface (a current topic in material science). Several examples of minimizing curve shapes on a variety of surfaces are shown. An advantage of the method is that it can be much faster than using molecular dynamics for simulating polymer strands on surfaces. Second, we apply our proximity penalization to the computation of ideal knots. We present a heuristic scheme, utilizing the SQP method above, for minimizing rope-length and apply it in the case of the trefoil knot. Applications of this method could be for generating good initial guesses to a more accurate (but expensive) knot-tightening algorithm.

Shape optimization of draft tubes for Agnew microhydro turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shojaeefard, Mohammad Hasan; Mirzaei, Ammar; Babaei, Ali

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The draft tube of Agnew microhydro turbine was optimized. • Pareto optimal solutions were determined by neural networks and NSGA-II algorithm. • The pressure recovery factor increases with height and angle over design ranges. • The loss coefficient reaches the minimum values at angles about 2 o . • Swirl of the incoming flow has great influence on the optimization results. - Abstract: In this study, the shape optimization of draft tubes utilized in Agnew type microhydro turbines has been discussed. The design parameters of the draft tube such as the cone angle and the height above the tailrace are considered in defining an optimization problem whose goal is to maximize the pressure recovery factor and minimize the energy loss coefficient of flow. The design space is determined by considering the experimental constraints and parameterized by the method of face-centered uniform ascertain distribution. The numerical simulations are performed using the boundary conditions found from laboratory tests and the obtained results are analyzed to create and validate a feed-forward neural network model, which is implemented as a surrogate model. The optimal Pareto solutions are finally determined using the NSGA-II evolutionary algorithm and compared for different inlet conditions. The results predict that the high swirl of the incoming flow drastically reduces the performance of the draft tube

Optimization Shape of Variable Capacitance Micromotor Using Differential Evolution Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ketabi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available A new method for optimum shape design of variable capacitance micromotor (VCM using Differential Evolution (DE, a stochastic search algorithm, is presented. In this optimization exercise, the objective function aims to maximize torque value and minimize the torque ripple, where the geometric parameters are considered to be the variables. The optimization process is carried out using a combination of DE algorithm and FEM analysis. Fitness value is calculated by FEM analysis using COMSOL3.4, and the DE algorithm is realized by MATLAB7.4. The proposed method is applied to a VCM with 8 poles at the stator and 6 poles at the rotor. The results show that the optimized micromotor using DE algorithm had higher torque value and lower torque ripple, indicating the validity of this methodology for VCM design.

Comparison of Theodorsen's Unsteady Aerodynamic Forces with Doublet Lattice Generalized Aerodynamic Forces

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Boyd, III

2017-01-01

This paper identifies the unsteady aerodynamic forces and moments for a typical section contained in the NACA Report No. 496, "General Theory of Aerodynamic Instability and the Mechanism of Flutter," by Theodore Theodorsen. These quantities are named Theodorsen's aerodynamic forces (TAFs). The TAFs are compared to the generalized aerodynamic forces (GAFs) for a very high aspect ratio wing (AR = 20) at zero Mach number computed by the doublet lattice method. Agreement between TAFs and GAFs is very-good-to-excellent. The paper also reveals that simple proportionality relationships that are known to exist between the real parts of some GAFs and the imaginary parts of others also hold for the real and imaginary parts of the corresponding TAFs.

Towards a virtual platform for aerodynamic design, performance assessment and optimization of horizontal axis wind turbines

OpenAIRE

Martínez Valdivieso, Daniel

2017-01-01

This thesis focuses on the study and improvement of the techniques involved on a virtual platform for the simulation of the Aerodynamics of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines, with the ultimate objective of making Wind Energy more competitive. Navier-Stokes equations govern Aerodynamics, which is an unresolved and very active field of research due to the current inability to capture the relevant the scales both in time and space for nowadays industrial-size machines (with rotors over 100 m...

Aerodynamic load control strategy of wind turbine in microgrid

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiangming; Liu, Heshun; Chen, Yanfei

2017-12-01

A control strategy is proposed in the paper to optimize the aerodynamic load of the wind turbine in micro-grid. In grid-connection mode, the wind turbine adopts a new individual variable pitch control strategy. The pitch angle of the blade is rapidly given by the controller, and the pitch angle of each blade is fine tuned by the weight coefficient distributor. In islanding mode, according to the requirements of energy storage system, a given power tracking control method based on fuzzy PID control is proposed. Simulation result shows that this control strategy can effectively improve the axial aerodynamic load of the blade under rated wind speed in grid-connection mode, and ensure the smooth operation of the micro-grid in islanding mode.

KNOW-BLADE, task-3.2 report, tip shape study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soerensen, N.N.; Johansen, J.; Conway, S.; Voutsinas, S.; Hansen, M.O.L.; Stuermer, A.

2005-01-01

For modern rotor blades with their very large aspect ratio, the blade tip is a very limited part of the overall rotor, and as such of limited importance for the overall aerodynamics of the rotor. Even though they may not be very important for the overall power production, the tip noise can be very important for the acoustics of the rotor [15], and the blade tips can as well be important for the aerodynamic damping properties of the rotor blades [13]. Unfortunately, not many options exists for predicting the aerodynamic behavior of blade tips using computational methods. Experimentally it is dicult to perform detailed measurements in the form of pressure and velocity measurements in natural wind conditions on modern large scale turbines due to the inherent unsteadiness in the natural wind. The present study describes the application of four different Navier-Stokes solvers to tip shape studies, and shows that these codes are well suited to study the flow around different tip shape geometries, and can predict the pressure distributions at the blade tip quite accurately. (au)

Theory and numerics for shape optimization in superconductivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heese, H.

2006-01-01

We consider a mathematical model for a thin superconducting film which is magnetically shielded by permanent magnets in order to improve the current carrying capability of the film. In a first part we study the behaviour of the magnetic field of the combined system, which is characterized via a boundary value problem for Laplace's equation for the quasi-scalar magnetic potential. In a second part we formulate and analyze a related geometric optimization problem that can be interpreted as a homogenization of the current distribution in the superconducting film by means of shape optimization for the magnet boundaries. We present a uniqueness and existence analysis for the boundary value problem based on boundary integral equations. The theoretical studies are complemented by a numerical approximation scheme for the potential, for which we prove exponential convergence rates under appropriate smoothness assumptions on the geometry. As central result for the geometric optimization problem we prove the differentiable dependence of the current distribution on the geometry, which also leads to an abstract existence result. Based on the differentiability result we derive two numerical schemes to realize the geometric optimization problem iteratively. The first approach relies on explicit parametrizations for the boundaries leading to a steepest descent scheme. The second approach uses level set methods which are based on an implicit boundary representation. The feasibility of both approaches is shown in a variety of examples. (orig.)

Numerical and experimental investigations on unsteady aerodynamics of flapping wings

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Meilin

The development of a dynamic unstructured grid high-order accurate spectral difference (SD) method for the three dimensional compressible Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations and its applications in flapping-wing aerodynamics are carried out in this work. Grid deformation is achieved via an algebraic blending strategy to save computational cost. The Geometric Conservation Law (GCL) is imposed to ensure that grid deformation will not contaminate the flow physics. A low Mach number preconditioning procedure is conducted in the developed solver to handle the bio-inspired flow. The capability of the low Mach number preconditioned SD solver is demonstrated by a series of two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) simulations of the unsteady vortex dominated flow. Several topics in the flapping wing aerodynamics are numerically and experimentally investigated in this work. These topics cover some of the cutting-edge issues in flapping wing aerodynamics, including the wake structure analysis, airfoil thickness and kinematics effects on the aerodynamic performances, vortex structure analysis around 3D flapping wings and the kinematics optimization. Wake structures behind a sinusoidally pitching NACA0012 airfoil are studied with both experimental and numerical approaches. The experiments are carried out with Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and two types of wake transition processes, namely the transition from a drag-indicative wake to a thrust-indicative wake and that from the symmetric wake to the asymmetric wake are distinguished. The numerical results from the developed SD solver agree well with the experimental results. It is numerically found that the deflective direction of the asymmetric wake is determined by the initial conditions, e.g. initial phase angle. As most insects use thin wings (i. e., wing thickness is only a few percent of the chord length) in flapping flight, the effects of airfoil thickness on thrust generation are numerically investigated by simulating

Application of genetic programming in shape optimization of concrete gravity dams by metaheuristics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdolhossein Baghlani

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A gravity dam maintains its stability against the external loads by its massive size. Hence, minimization of the weight of the dam can remarkably reduce the construction costs. In this paper, a procedure for finding optimal shape of concrete gravity dams with a computationally efficient approach is introduced. Genetic programming (GP in conjunction with metaheuristics is used for this purpose. As a case study, shape optimization of the Bluestone dam is presented. Pseudo-dynamic analysis is carried out on a total number of 322 models in order to establish a database of the results. This database is then used to find appropriate relations based on GP for design criteria of the dam. This procedure eliminates the necessity of the time-consuming process of structural analyses in evolutionary optimization methods. The method is hybridized with three different metaheuristics, including particle swarm optimization, firefly algorithm (FA, and teaching–learning-based optimization, and a comparison is made. The results show that although all algorithms are very suitable, FA is slightly superior to other two algorithms in finding a lighter structure in less number of iterations. The proposed method reduces the weight of dam up to 14.6% with very low computational effort.

Multi-objective optimization of a type of ellipse-parabola shaped superelastic flexure hinge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Du

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Flexure hinges made of superelastic materials is a promising candidate to enhance the movability of compliant mechanisms. In this paper, we focus on the multi-objective optimization of a type of ellipse-parabola shaped superelastic flexure hinge. The objective is to determine a set of optimal geometric parameters that maximizes the motion range and the relative compliance of the flexure hinge and minimizes the relative rotation error during the deformation as well. Firstly, the paper presents a new type of ellipse-parabola shaped flexure hinge which is constructed by an ellipse arc and a parabola curve. Then, the static responses of superelastic flexure hinges are solved via non-prismatic beam elements derived by the co-rotational approach. Finite element analysis (FEA and experiment tests are performed to verify the modeling method. Finally, a multi-objective optimization is performed and the Pareto frontier is found via the NSGA-II algorithm.

Mitigation of Power frequency Magnetic Fields. Using Scale Invariant and Shape Optimization Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salinas, Ener; Yueqiang Liu; Daalder, Jaap; Cruz, Pedro; Antunez de Souza, Paulo Roberto Jr; Atalaya, Juan Carlos; Paula Marciano, Fabianna de; Eskinasy, Alexandre

2006-10-15

The present report describes the development and application of two novel methods for implementing mitigation techniques of magnetic fields at power frequencies. The first method makes use of scaling rules for electromagnetic quantities, while the second one applies a 2D shape optimization algorithm based on gradient methods. Before this project, the first method had already been successfully applied (by some of the authors of this report) to electromagnetic designs involving pure conductive Material (e.g. copper, aluminium) which implied a linear formulation. Here we went beyond this approach and tried to develop a formulation involving ferromagnetic (i.e. non-linear) Materials. Surprisingly, we obtained good equivalent replacement for test-transformers by varying the input current. In spite of the validity of this equivalence constrained to regions not too close to the source, the results can still be considered useful, as most field mitigation techniques are precisely developed for reducing the magnetic field in regions relatively far from the sources. The shape optimization method was applied in this project to calculate the optimal geometry of a pure conductive plate to mitigate the magnetic field originated from underground cables. The objective function was a weighted combination of magnetic energy at the region of interest and dissipated heat at the shielding Material. To our surprise, shapes of complex structure, difficult to interpret (and probably even harder to anticipate) were the results of the applied process. However, the practical implementation (using some approximation of these shapes) gave excellent experimental mitigation factors.

Global-local optimization of flapping kinematics in hovering flight

KAUST Repository

Ghommem, Mehdi; Hajj, M. R.; Mook, Dean T.; Stanford, Bret K.; Bé ran, Philip S.; Watson, Layne T.

2013-01-01

The kinematics of a hovering wing are optimized by combining the 2-d unsteady vortex lattice method with a hybrid of global and local optimization algorithms. The objective is to minimize the required aerodynamic power under a lift constraint. The hybrid optimization is used to efficiently navigate the complex design space due to wing-wake interference present in hovering aerodynamics. The flapping wing is chosen so that its chord length and flapping frequency match the morphological and flight properties of two insects with different masses. The results suggest that imposing a delay between the different oscillatory motions defining the flapping kinematics, and controlling the way through which the wing rotates at the end of each half stroke can improve aerodynamic power under a lift constraint. Furthermore, our optimization analysis identified optimal kinematics that agree fairly well with observed insect kinematics, as well as previously published numerical results.

Global-local optimization of flapping kinematics in hovering flight

KAUST Repository

Ghommem, Mehdi

2013-06-01

The kinematics of a hovering wing are optimized by combining the 2-d unsteady vortex lattice method with a hybrid of global and local optimization algorithms. The objective is to minimize the required aerodynamic power under a lift constraint. The hybrid optimization is used to efficiently navigate the complex design space due to wing-wake interference present in hovering aerodynamics. The flapping wing is chosen so that its chord length and flapping frequency match the morphological and flight properties of two insects with different masses. The results suggest that imposing a delay between the different oscillatory motions defining the flapping kinematics, and controlling the way through which the wing rotates at the end of each half stroke can improve aerodynamic power under a lift constraint. Furthermore, our optimization analysis identified optimal kinematics that agree fairly well with observed insect kinematics, as well as previously published numerical results.

Shape, position and orientational design of holes for plates with optimized eigenfrequencies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Niels Leergaard; Pedersen, Pauli

2003-01-01

A hole with a given size is placed in the interior of a plate with an arbitrary external boundary. To avoid stress concentrations the shape of the hole must be smooth (continuous curvature). The objectives of the optimization are the eigenfrequencies of the plate with the hole. The optimization...... an analytical description of the hole. A rather general parameterization with only seven design parameters is applied, including the possibility of going from an ellipse to a square or even to a triangle. Optimal designs are obtained iteratively using mathematical programming, each of the redesigns is based...

Dynamic control of a bistable wing under aerodynamic loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilgen, Onur; Arrieta, Andres F; Friswell, Michael I; Hagedorn, Peter

2013-01-01

The aerodynamic evaluation of a dynamic control technique applied to a bistable unsymmetrical cross-ply composite plate with surface bonded piezoelectric actuators is presented. The plate is clamped on one end to form a low-aspect-ratio wing. A previously proposed dynamic control method, utilizing bending resonance in different stable equilibrium positions, is used to induce snap-through between the two equilibrium states. Compared to quasi-static actuation, driving the bistable plate near resonance using surface bonded piezoelectric materials requires, theoretically, a lower peak excitation voltage to achieve snap-through. First, a set of extensive wind tunnel experiments are conducted on the passive bistable wing to understand the change in the dynamic behavior under various aerodynamic conditions. The passive wing demonstrated sufficient bending stiffness to sustain its shape under aerodynamic loading while preserving the desired bistable behavior. Next, by the use of the resonant control technique, the plate is turned into an effectively monostable structure, or alternatively, both stable equilibrium positions can be reached actively from the other stable equilibrium. Dynamic forward and reverse snap-through is demonstrated in the wind tunnel which shows both the effectiveness of the piezoelectric actuation as well as the load carrying capability of both states of the bistable wing. (paper)

Optimization of negative central shear discharges in shaped cross sections

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turnbull, A.D.; Chu, M.S., Taylor, T.S., Casper, T.A., Rice, B.W.; Greene, J.M., Greenfield, C.M., La Haye, R.J., Lao, L.L., Lee, B.J.; Miller, R.L., Ren, C., Strait, E.J., Tritz, K.; Rettig, C.L., Rhodes, T.L.; Sauter, O.

1996-10-01

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability analyses of Negative Central Shear (NCS) equilibria have revealed a new understanding of the limiting MHD instabilities in NCS experiments. Ideal stability calculations show a synergistic effect between cross section shape and pressure profile optimization; strong shaping and broader pressure independently lead to moderately higher Β limits, but broadening of the pressure profile in a strongly dee-shaped cross- section leads to a dramatic increase in the ideal Β limit. Localized resistive interchange (RI) modes can be unstable in the negative shear region and are most restrictive for peaked pressure profiles. Resistive global modes can also be destabilized significantly below the ideal P limit. Experiments largely confirm the general trends, and diagnostic measurements and numerical stability calculations are found to be in good qualitative agreement. Observed disruptions in NCS discharges with L-mode edge and strongly peaked pressure, appear to be initiated by interactions between the RI, and the global ideal and resistive modes

Optimization on the end-shaping of a quadrupole magnet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumada, M.; Sasaki, H.; Someya, H.; Sakai, I.

1983-01-01

In order to achieve the widest possible aperture of accelerator magnets, end-shaping is a well known method. To do this one has to deal with the three-dimensional fringe field inherent to each geometry. This may be done experimentally by a cut-and-try method or theoretically by a three-dimensional computer code. In any case, considerable time has to be consumed if one wants to get a conclusion which is as general as possible and which is useful in designing magnets. Fringe field optimization on the end-shaping of the conventional quadrupole magnet was done by a cut-and-try method, where a very simple geometry of the end pole was chosen to get a general conclusion. The 'cut-out ratio diagram' given as a conclusion is useful to designers of the conventional quadrupole magnet. (orig.)

Aerodynamic properties of turbulent combustion fields

Science.gov (United States)

Hsiao, C. C.; Oppenheim, A. K.

1985-01-01

Flow fields involving turbulent flames in premixed gases under a variety of conditions are modeled by the use of a numerical technique based on the random vortex method to solve the Navier-Stokes equations and a flame propagation algorithm to trace the motion of the front and implement the Huygens principle, both due to Chorin. A successive over-relaxation hybrid method is applied to solve the Euler equation for flows in an arbitrarily shaped domain. The method of images, conformal transformation, and the integral-equation technique are also used to treat flows in special cases, according to their particular requirements. Salient features of turbulent flame propagation in premixed gases are interpreted by relating them to the aerodynamic properties of the flow field. Included among them is the well-known cellular structure of flames stabilized by bluff bodies, as well as the formation of the characteristic tulip shape of flames propagating in ducts. In its rudimentary form, the mechanism of propagation of a turbulent flame is shown to consist of: (1) rotary motion of eddies at the flame front, (2) self-advancement of the front at an appropriate normal burning speed, and (3) dynamic effects of expansion due to exothermicity of the combustion reaction. An idealized model is used to illustrate these fundamental mechanisms and to investigate basic aerodynamic features of flames in premixed gases. The case of a confined flame stabilized behind a rearward-facing step is given particular care and attention. Solutions are shown to be in satisfactory agreement with experimental results, especially with respect to global properties such as the average velocity profiles and reattachment length.

Investigation of the optimal elastic and weight properties of passive morphing skins for camber-morphing applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Previtali, Francesco; Arrieta, Andres F; Ermanni, Paolo

2016-01-01

The aerodynamic performance of wing structures is directly related to their external geometry. The idea of seamless shape adaptation of the wing geometry (or morphing) has emerged to provide the capability of operating optimally in a wide range of conditions. Of particular importance to realize the potential of morphing is the ability of the wing skin to conform to the different geometrical contours. Several concepts for morphing skins have been presented to address this design challenge, each presenting peculiar strengths and weaknesses depending on the chosen combination of material and structural arrangement. This paper investigates the generic structural properties of a passive morphing skin design to allow for optimal shape adaptation through cambering. The properties of the morphing skin are included among the design variables to identify their optimal value; multi-objective optimizations are used to obtain parametric results. The results indicate the need for a high anisotropy, both between membrane and bending properties and between the skin’s principal directions. The impact of the skin weight on the wing design is also shown. (paper)

Aerodynamic efficiency of flapping flight: analysis of a two-stroke model.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Z Jane

2008-01-01

To seek the simplest efficient flapping wing motions and understand their relation to steady flight, a two-stroke model in the quasi-steady limit was analyzed. It was found that a family of two-stroke flapping motions have aerodynamic efficiency close to, but slightly lower than, the optimal steady flight. These two-stroke motions share two common features: the downstroke is a gliding motion and the upstroke has an angle of attack close to the optimal of the steady flight of the same wing. With the reduced number of parameters, the aerodynamic cost function in the parameter space can be visualized. This was examined for wings of different lift and drag characteristics at Reynolds numbers between 10(2) and 10(6). The iso-surfaces of the cost function have a tube-like structure, implying that the solution is insensitive to a specific direction in the parameter space. Related questions in insect flight that motivated this work are discussed.

Application of computational aerodynamics methods to the design and analysis of transport aircraft

Science.gov (United States)

Da Costa, A. L.

1978-01-01

The application and validation of several computational aerodynamic methods in the design and analysis of transport aircraft is established. An assessment is made concerning more recently developed methods that solve three-dimensional transonic flow and boundary layers on wings. Capabilities of subsonic aerodynamic methods are demonstrated by several design and analysis efforts. Among the examples cited are the B747 Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft analysis, nacelle integration for transport aircraft, and winglet optimization. The accuracy and applicability of a new three-dimensional viscous transonic method is demonstrated by comparison of computed results to experimental data

Aerodynamics and Ecomorphology of Flexible Feathers and Morphing Bird Wings

Science.gov (United States)

Klaassen van Oorschot, Brett

Birds are talented fliers capable of vertical take-off and landing, navigating turbulent air, and flying thousands of miles without rest. How is this possible? What allows birds to exploit the aerial environment with such ease? In part, it may be because bird wings are unlike any engineered wing. They are flexible, strong, lightweight, and dynamically capable of changes in shape on a nearly instantaneous basis (Rayner, 1988; Tobalske, 2007). Moreover, much of this change is passive, modulated only by changes in airflow angle and velocity. Birds actively morph their wings and their feathers morph passively in response to airflow to meet aerodynamic demands. Wings are highly adapted to myriad aeroecological factors and aerodynamic conditions (e.g. Lockwood et al., 1998; Bowlin and Winkler, 2004). This dissertation contains the results of my research on the complexities of morphing avian wings and feathers. I chose to study three related-but-discrete aspects of the avian wing: 1) the aerodynamics of morphing wings during take-off and gliding flight, 2) the presence and significance of wing tip slots across the avian clade, and 3) the aerodynamic role of the emarginate primary feathers that form these wing tip slots. These experiments ask fundamental questions that have intrigued me since childhood: Why do birds have different wing shapes? And why do some birds have slotted wing tips? It's fair to say that you will not find definitive answers here--rather, you will find the methodical, incremental addition of new hypotheses and empirical evidence which will serve future researchers in their own pursuits of these questions. The first chapter explores active wing morphing in two disparate aerodynamic regimes: low-advance ratio flapping (such as during takeoff) and high-advance ratio gliding. This chapter was published in the Journal of Experimental Biology (Klaassen van Oorschot et al., 2016) with the help of an undergraduate researcher, Emily Mistick. We found that wing

Numerical Modeling of Surface and Volumetric Cooling using Optimal T- and Y-shaped Flow Channels

Science.gov (United States)

Kosaraju, Srinivas

2017-11-01

The layout of T- and V-shaped flow channel networks on a surface can be optimized for minimum pressure drop and pumping power. The results of the optimization are in the form of geometric parameters such as length and diameter ratios of the stem and branch sections. While these flow channels are optimized for minimum pressure drop, they can also be used for surface and volumetric cooling applications such as heat exchangers, air conditioning and electronics cooling. In this paper, an effort has been made to study the heat transfer characteristics of multiple T- and Y-shaped flow channel configurations using numerical simulations. All configurations are subjected to same input parameters and heat generation constraints. Comparisons are made with similar results published in literature.

Development and Evaluation of an Aerodynamic Model for a Novel Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Concept

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Shires

2013-05-01

Full Text Available There has been a resurgence of interest in the development of vertical axis wind turbines which have several inherent attributes that offer some advantages for offshore operations, particularly their scalability and low over-turning moments with better accessibility to drivetrain components. This paper describes an aerodynamic performance model for vertical axis wind turbines specifically developed for the design of a novel offshore V-shaped rotor with multiple aerodynamic surfaces. The model is based on the Double-Multiple Streamtube method and includes a number of developments for alternative complex rotor shapes. The paper compares predicted results with measured field data for five different turbines with both curved and straight blades and rated powers in the range 100–500 kW. Based on these comparisons, the paper proposes modifications to the Gormont dynamic stall model that gives improved predictions of rotor power for the turbines considered.

Optimization of the size and shape of the set-in nozzle for a PWR reactor pressure vessel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murtaza, Usman Tariq, E-mail: maniiut@yahoo.com; Javed Hyder, M., E-mail: hyder@pieas.edu.pk

2015-04-01

Highlights: • The size and shape of the set-in nozzle of the RPV have been optimized. • The optimized nozzle ensure the reduction of the mass around 198 kg per nozzle. • The mass of the RPV should be minimized for better fracture toughness. - Abstract: The objective of this research work is to optimize the size and shape of the set-in nozzle for a typical reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of a 300 MW pressurized water reactor. The analysis was performed by optimizing the four design variables which control the size and shape of the nozzle. These variables are inner radius of the nozzle, thickness of the nozzle, taper angle at the nozzle-cylinder intersection, and the point where taper of the nozzle starts from. It is concluded that the optimum design of the nozzle is the one that minimizes the two conflicting state variables, i.e., the stress intensity (Tresca yield criterion) and the mass of the RPV.

A LEVEL SET BASED SHAPE OPTIMIZATION METHOD FOR AN ELLIPTIC OBSTACLE PROBLEM

KAUST Repository

Burger, Martin; Matevosyan, Norayr; Wolfram, Marie-Therese

2011-01-01

analysis of the level set method in terms of viscosity solutions. To our knowledge this is the first complete analysis of a level set method for a nonlocal shape optimization problem. Finally, we discuss the implementation of the methods and illustrate its

Theory and numerics for shape optimization in superconductivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heese, H.

2006-07-21

We consider a mathematical model for a thin superconducting film which is magnetically shielded by permanent magnets in order to improve the current carrying capability of the film. In a first part we study the behaviour of the magnetic field of the combined system, which is characterized via a boundary value problem for Laplace's equation for the quasi-scalar magnetic potential. In a second part we formulate and analyze a related geometric optimization problem that can be interpreted as a homogenization of the current distribution in the superconducting film by means of shape optimization for the magnet boundaries. We present a uniqueness and existence analysis for the boundary value problem based on boundary integral equations. The theoretical studies are complemented by a numerical approximation scheme for the potential, for which we prove exponential convergence rates under appropriate smoothness assumptions on the geometry. As central result for the geometric optimization problem we prove the differentiable dependence of the current distribution on the geometry, which also leads to an abstract existence result. Based on the differentiability result we derive two numerical schemes to realize the geometric optimization problem iteratively. The first approach relies on explicit parametrizations for the boundaries leading to a steepest descent scheme. The second approach uses level set methods which are based on an implicit boundary representation. The feasibility of both approaches is shown in a variety of examples. (orig.)

Optimization and control of plasma shape and current profile in non-circular cross-section tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moore, R.W.; Bernard, L.C.; Chan, V.S.

1981-01-01

Tokamaks with elongated, non-circular cross-sections are under consideration as fusion reactors because they have the potential for stable operation at high β. Ideal MHD theory, however, predicts that careful current profile control will be required to achieve the potential high-β advantages of non-circular cross-sections. In this paper, high-β equilibria which are stable to all ideal MHD modes are found by optimizing the plasma shape and current profile for doublets, up-down asymmetric dees, and symmetric dees. The ideal MHD stability of these equilibria for low toroidal mode number n is analysed with a global MHD stability code, GATO. The stability to high-n modes is analysed with a localized ballooning code, BLOON. The attainment of high β is facilitated by an automated optimization search on shape and current parameters. The equilibria are calculated with a free-boundary equilibrium code using coils appropriate for the Doublet III experimental device. The optimal equilibria are characterized by broad current profiles with values of βsub(poloidal) approximately equal to 1. Experimental realization of the shapes and current profiles giving the highest β limits is explored with a 1 1/2-D transport code, which simulates the time evolution of the 2-D MHD equilibrium while calculating consistent current profiles from a 1-D transport model. Transport simulations indicate that nearly optimal shapes may be obtained provided that the currents in the field-shaping coils are appropriately programmed and the plasma current profile is sufficiently broad. Obtaining broad current profiles is possible by current ramping, neutral-beam heating, and electron-cyclotron heating. With combinations of these techniques it is possible to approach the optimum β predicted by the MHD theory. (author)

Optimization design of spar cap layup for wind turbine blade

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

2012-01-01

Based on the aerodynamic shape and structural form of the blade are fixed,a mathematical model of optimization design for wind turbine blade is established.The model is pursued with respect to minimum the blade mass to reduce the cost of wind turbine production.The material layup numbers of the spar cap are chosen as the design variables;while the demands of strength,stiffness and stability of the blade are employed as the constraint conditions.The optimization design for a 1.5 MW wind turbine blade is carried out by combing above objective and constraint conditions at the action of ultimate flapwise loads with the finite element software ANSYS.Compared with the original design,the optimization design result achieves a reduction of 7.2% of the blade mass,the stress and strain distribution of the blade is more reasonable,and there is no occurrence of resonance,therefore its effectiveness is verified.

Optimization of composite tiltrotor wings with extensions and winglets

Science.gov (United States)

Kambampati, Sandilya

Tiltrotors suffer from an aeroelastic instability during forward flight called whirl flutter. Whirl flutter is caused by the whirling motion of the rotor, characterized by highly coupled wing-rotor-pylon modes of vibration. Whirl flutter is a major obstacle for tiltrotors in achieving high-speed flight. The conventional approach to assure adequate whirl flutter stability margins for tiltrotors is to design the wings with high torsional stiffness, typically using 23% thickness-to-chord ratio wings. However, the large aerodynamic drag associated with these high thickness-to-chord ratio wings decreases aerodynamic efficiency and increases fuel consumption. Wingtip devices such as wing extensions and winglets have the potential to increase the whirl flutter characteristics and the aerodynamic efficiency of a tiltrotor. However, wing-tip devices can add more weight to the aircraft. In this study, multi-objective parametric and optimization methodologies for tiltrotor aircraft with wing extensions and winglets are investigated. The objectives are to maximize aircraft aerodynamic efficiency while minimizing weight penalty due to extensions and winglets, subject to whirl flutter constraints. An aeroelastic model that predicts the whirl flutter speed and a wing structural model that computes strength and weight of a composite wing are developed. An existing aerodynamic model (that predicts the aerodynamic efficiency) is merged with the developed structural and aeroelastic models for the purpose of conducting parametric and optimization studies. The variables of interest are the wing thickness and structural properties, and extension and winglet planform variables. The Bell XV-15 tiltrotor aircraft the chosen as the parent aircraft for this study. Parametric studies reveal that a wing extension of span 25% of the inboard wing increases the whirl flutter speed by 10% and also increases the aircraft aerodynamic efficiency by 8%. Structurally tapering the wing of a tiltrotor

Flux surface shape and current profile optimization in tokamaks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobrott, D.R.; Miller, R.L.

1977-01-01

Axisymmetric tokamak equilibria of noncircular cross section are analyzed numerically to study the effects of flux surface shape and current profile on ideal and resistive interchange stability. Various current profiles are examined for circles, ellipses, dees, and doublets. A numerical code separately analyzes stability in the neighborhood of the magnetic axis and in the remainder of the plasma using the criteria of Mercier and Glasser, Greene, and Johnson. Results are interpreted in terms of flux surface averaged quantities such as magnetic well, shear, and the spatial variation in the magnetic field energy density over the cross section. The maximum stable β is found to vary significantly with shape and current profile. For current profiles varying linearly with poloidal flux, the highest β's found were for doublets. Finally, an algorithm is presented which optimizes the current profile for circles and dees by making the plasma everywhere marginally stable

Shape Optimization in Three-Dimensional Contact Problems with Coulomb Friction

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Beremlijski, P.; Haslinger, J.; Kočvara, Michal; Kučera, R.; Outrata, Jiří

2009-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 1 (2009), s. 416-444 ISSN 1052-6234 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802; GA AV ČR IAA1075402 Grant - others:European Commision(XE) FP6 - 30717; GA ČR(CZ) GA201/07/0294 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : shape optimization * contact problems * Coulomb friction Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.429, year: 2009

Decoupled simulations of offshore wind turbines with reduced rotor loads and aerodynamic damping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Schafhirt

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Decoupled load simulations are a computationally efficient method to perform a dynamic analysis of an offshore wind turbine. Modelling the dynamic interactions between rotor and support structure, especially the damping caused by the rotating rotor, is of importance, since it influences the structural response significantly and has a major impact on estimating fatigue lifetime. Linear damping is usually used for this purpose, but experimentally and analytically derived formulas to calculate an aerodynamic damping ratio often show discrepancies to measurement and simulation data. In this study decoupled simulation methods with reduced and full rotor loads are compared to an integrated simulation. The accuracy of decoupled methods is evaluated and an optimization is performed to obtain aerodynamic damping ratios for different wind speeds that provide the best results with respect to variance and equivalent fatigue loads at distinct output locations. Results show that aerodynamic damping is not linear, but it is possible to match desired output using decoupled models. Moreover, damping ratios obtained from the empirical study suggest that aerodynamic damping increases for higher wind speeds.

Shape optimization of 3D curved slots and its application to the squirrel-cage elastic support design

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dan; Zhang, Weihong; Wang, Zhenpei; Zhu, Jihong

2010-10-01

The squirrel-cage elastic support is one of the most important components of an aero-engine rotor system. A proper structural design will favor the static and dynamic performances of the system. In view of the deficiency of the current shape optimization techniques, a new mapping approach is proposed to define shape design variables based on the parametric equations of 3D curves and surfaces. It is then applied for the slot shape optimization of a squirrel-cage elastic support. To this end, an automatic design procedure that integrates the Genetic Algorithm (GA) is developed to solve the problem. Two typical examples with different shape constraints are considered. Numerical results provide reasonable optimum designs for the improvement of stiffness and strength of the squirrel-cage elastic support.

Aerodynamic efficiency of a bioinspired flapping wing rotor at low Reynolds number.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, H; Guo, S

2018-03-01

This study investigates the aerodynamic efficiency of a bioinspired flapping wing rotor kinematics which combines an active vertical flapping motion and a passive horizontal rotation induced by aerodynamic thrust. The aerodynamic efficiencies for producing both vertical lift and horizontal thrust of the wing are obtained using a quasi-steady aerodynamic model and two-dimensional (2D) CFD analysis at Reynolds number of 2500. The calculated efficiency data show that both efficiencies (propulsive efficiency- η p , and efficiency for producing lift- P f ) of the wing are optimized at Strouhal number ( St ) between 0.1 and 0.5 for a range of wing pitch angles (upstroke angle of attack α u less than 45°); the St for high P f ( St  = 0.1 ∼ 0.3) is generally lower than for high η p ( St  = 0.2 ∼ 0.5), while the St for equilibrium rotation states lies between the two. Further systematic calculations show that the natural equilibrium of the passive rotating wing automatically converges to high-efficiency states: above 85% of maximum P f can be obtained for a wide range of prescribed wing kinematics. This study provides insight into the aerodynamic efficiency of biological flyers in cruising flight, as well as practical applications for micro air vehicle design.

Experimental and simulation optimization analysis of the Whipple shields against shaped charge

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, G.; Hameed, A.; Horsfall, I.; Barton, P.; Malik, A. Q.

2012-06-01

Occasionally, the Whipple shields are used for the protection of a space station and a satellite against the meteoroids and orbital debris. In the Whipple shields each layer of the shield depletes part of high speed projectile energy either by breaking the projectile or absorbing its energy. Similarly, this investigation uses the Whipple shields against the shaped charge to protect the light armour such as infantry fighting vehicles with a little modification in their design. The unsteady multiple interactions of shaped charge jet with the Whipple shield package against the steady homogeneous target is scrutinized to optimize the shield thickness. Simulations indicate that the shield thickness of 0.75 mm offers an optimum configuration against the shaped charge. Experiments also support this evidence.

Mesh Optimization for Ground Vehicle Aerodynamics

OpenAIRE

Adrian Gaylard; Essam F Abo-Serie; Nor Elyana Ahmad

2010-01-01

Mesh optimization strategy for estimating accurate drag of a ground vehicle is proposed based on examining the effect of different mesh parameters.  The optimized mesh parameters were selected using design of experiment (DOE) method to be able to work in a...

3D shape optimization of fan vanes for multiple operating regimes subject to efficiency and noise-related excellence criteria and constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivo Marinić-Kragić

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Fully generic 3D shapes of centrifugal roof fan vanes are explored based on a custom-developed numerical workflow with the ability to vary the vane 3D shape by manipulating the control points of parametric surfaces and change the number of vanes and rotation speed. An excellence formulation is based on design flow efficiency, multi-regime operational conditions and noise criteria for various cases, including multi-objective optimization. Multiple cases of optimization demonstrate the suitability of customized and individualized fan designs for specific working environments according to the selected excellence criteria. Noise analysis is considered as an additional decision-making tool for cases where multiple solutions of equal efficiency are generated and as an additional criteria for multi-objective optimization. The 3D vane shape enables further gains in efficiency compared to 2D shape optimization, while multi-objective optimization with noise as an additional criterion shows potential to greatly reduce the roof fan noise with only small losses in efficiency. The developed workflow which comprises (i a 3D parametric shape modeler, (ii an evolutionary optimizer and (iii a computational fluid dynamics (CFD simulator can be viewed as an integral tool for optimizing the designs of roof fans under custom conditions.

Aerodynamic drag reduction of a simplified squareback vehicle using steady blowing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Littlewood, R.P. [LaVisionUK Ltd, Grove, Oxon (United Kingdom); Passmore, M.A. [Loughborough University, Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering, Loughborough (United Kingdom)

2012-08-15

A large contribution to the aerodynamic drag of a vehicle arises from the failure to fully recover pressure in the wake region, especially on squareback configurations. A degree of base pressure recovery can be achieved through careful shape optimisation, but the freedom of an automotive aerodynamicist to implement significant shape changes is limited by a variety of additional factors such styling, ergonomics and loading capacity. Active flow control technologies present the potential to create flow field modifications without the need for external shape changes and have received much attention in previous years within the aeronautical industry and, more recently, within the automotive industry. In this work the influence of steady blowing applied at a variety of angles on the roof trailing edge of a simplified 1/4 scale squareback style vehicle has been investigated. Hot-wire anemometry, force balance measurements, surface pressure measurements and PIV have been used to investigate the effects of the steady blowing on the vehicle wake structures and the resulting body forces. The energy consumption of the steady jet is calculated and is used to deduce an aerodynamic drag power change. Results show that overall gains can be achieved; however, the large mass flow rate required restricts the applicability of the technique to road vehicles. Means by which the mass flow rate requirements of the jet may be reduced are discussed and suggestions for further work put forward. (orig.)

Airfoil design and optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lutz, T. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Aerodynamik und Gasdynamik

2001-07-01

The aerodynamic efficiency of mildly swept wings is mainly influenced by the characteristics of the airfoil sections. The specific design of airfoils is therefore one of the classical tasks of aerodynamics. Since the airfoil characteristics are directly dependent on the inviscid pressure distribution the application of inverse calculation methods is obvious. The direct numerical airfoil optimization offers an alternative to the manual design and attracts increasing interest. (orig.)

Development of Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap for Performance Adaptive Aeroelastic Wing

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Nhan; Kaul, Upender; Lebofsky, Sonia; Ting, Eric; Chaparro, Daniel; Urnes, James

2015-01-01

This paper summarizes the recent development of an adaptive aeroelastic wing shaping control technology called variable camber continuous trailing edge flap (VCCTEF). As wing flexibility increases, aeroelastic interactions with aerodynamic forces and moments become an increasingly important consideration in aircraft design and aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, aeroelastic interactions with flight dynamics can result in issues with vehicle stability and control. The initial VCCTEF concept was developed in 2010 by NASA under a NASA Innovation Fund study entitled "Elastically Shaped Future Air Vehicle Concept," which showed that highly flexible wing aerodynamic surfaces can be elastically shaped in-flight by active control of wing twist and bending deflection in order to optimize the spanwise lift distribution for drag reduction. A collaboration between NASA and Boeing Research & Technology was subsequently funded by NASA from 2012 to 2014 to further develop the VCCTEF concept. This paper summarizes some of the key research areas conducted by NASA during the collaboration with Boeing Research and Technology. These research areas include VCCTEF design concepts, aerodynamic analysis of VCCTEF camber shapes, aerodynamic optimization of lift distribution for drag minimization, wind tunnel test results for cruise and high-lift configurations, flutter analysis and suppression control of flexible wing aircraft, and multi-objective flight control for adaptive aeroelastic wing shaping control.

Hybrid surrogate-model-based multi-fidelity efficient global optimization applied to helicopter blade design

Science.gov (United States)

Ariyarit, Atthaphon; Sugiura, Masahiko; Tanabe, Yasutada; Kanazaki, Masahiro

2018-06-01

A multi-fidelity optimization technique by an efficient global optimization process using a hybrid surrogate model is investigated for solving real-world design problems. The model constructs the local deviation using the kriging method and the global model using a radial basis function. The expected improvement is computed to decide additional samples that can improve the model. The approach was first investigated by solving mathematical test problems. The results were compared with optimization results from an ordinary kriging method and a co-kriging method, and the proposed method produced the best solution. The proposed method was also applied to aerodynamic design optimization of helicopter blades to obtain the maximum blade efficiency. The optimal shape obtained by the proposed method achieved performance almost equivalent to that obtained using the high-fidelity, evaluation-based single-fidelity optimization. Comparing all three methods, the proposed method required the lowest total number of high-fidelity evaluation runs to obtain a converged solution.

Finite Element Based Lagrangian Vortex Dynamics Model for Wind Turbine Aerodynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McWilliam, Michael K; Crawford, Curran

2014-01-01

This paper presents a novel aerodynamic model based on Lagrangian Vortex Dynamics (LVD) formulated using a Finite Element (FE) approach. The advantage of LVD is improved fidelity over Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEMT) while being faster than Numerical Navier-Stokes Models (NNSM) in either primitive or velocity-vorticity formulations. The model improves on conventional LVD in three ways. First, the model is based on an error minimization formulation that can be solved with fast root finding algorithms. In addition to improving accuracy, this eliminates the intrinsic numerical instability of conventional relaxed wake simulations. The method has further advantages in optimization and aero-elastic simulations for two reasons. The root finding algorithm can solve the aerodynamic and structural equations simultaneously, avoiding Gauss-Seidel iteration for compatibility constraints. The second is that the formulation allows for an analytical definition for sensitivity calculations. The second improvement comes from a new discretization scheme based on an FE formulation and numerical quadrature that decouples the spatial, influencing and temporal meshes. The shape for each trailing filament uses basis functions (interpolating splines) that allow for both local polynomial order and element size refinement. A completely independent scheme distributes the influencing (vorticity) elements along the basis functions. This allows for concentrated elements in the near wake for accuracy and progressively less in the far-wake for efficiency. Finally the third improvement is the use of a far-wake model based on semi-infinite vortex cylinders where the radius and strength are related to the wake state. The error-based FE formulation allows the transition to the far wake to occur across a fixed plane

Efficient Multidisciplinary Analysis Approach for Conceptual Design of Aircraft with Large Shape Change

Science.gov (United States)

Chwalowski, Pawel; Samareh, Jamshid A.; Horta, Lucas G.; Piatak, David J.; McGowan, Anna-Maria R.

2009-01-01

The conceptual and preliminary design processes for aircraft with large shape changes are generally difficult and time-consuming, and the processes are often customized for a specific shape change concept to streamline the vehicle design effort. Accordingly, several existing reports show excellent results of assessing a particular shape change concept or perturbations of a concept. The goal of the current effort was to develop a multidisciplinary analysis tool and process that would enable an aircraft designer to assess several very different morphing concepts early in the design phase and yet obtain second-order performance results so that design decisions can be made with better confidence. The approach uses an efficient parametric model formulation that allows automatic model generation for systems undergoing radical shape changes as a function of aerodynamic parameters, geometry parameters, and shape change parameters. In contrast to other more self-contained approaches, the approach utilizes off-the-shelf analysis modules to reduce development time and to make it accessible to many users. Because the analysis is loosely coupled, discipline modules like a multibody code can be easily swapped for other modules with similar capabilities. One of the advantages of this loosely coupled system is the ability to use the medium- to high-fidelity tools early in the design stages when the information can significantly influence and improve overall vehicle design. Data transfer among the analysis modules are based on an accurate and automated general purpose data transfer tool. In general, setup time for the integrated system presented in this paper is 2-4 days for simple shape change concepts and 1-2 weeks for more mechanically complicated concepts. Some of the key elements briefly described in the paper include parametric model development, aerodynamic database generation, multibody analysis, and the required software modules as well as examples for a telescoping wing

Robust Navier-Stokes method for predicting unsteady flowfield and aerodynamic characteristics of helicopter rotor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qijun ZHAO

2018-02-01

Full Text Available A robust unsteady rotor flowfield solver CLORNS code is established to predict the complex unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of rotor flowfield. In order to handle the difficult problem about grid generation around rotor with complex aerodynamic shape in this CFD code, a parameterized grid generated method is established, and the moving-embedded grids are constructed by several proposed universal methods. In this work, the unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS equations with Spalart-Allmaras are selected as the governing equations to predict the unsteady flowfield of helicopter rotor. The discretization of convective fluxes is accomplished by employing the second-order central difference scheme, third-order MUSCL-Roe scheme, and fifth-order WENO-Roe scheme. Aimed at simulating the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics of helicopter rotor, the dual-time scheme with implicit LU-SGS scheme is employed to accomplish the temporal discretization. In order to improve the computational efficiency of hole-cells and donor elements searching of the moving-embedded grid technology, the “disturbance diffraction method” and “minimum distance scheme of donor elements method” are established in this work. To improve the computational efficiency, Message Passing Interface (MPI parallel method based on subdivision of grid, local preconditioning method and Full Approximation Storage (FAS multi-grid method are combined in this code. By comparison of the numerical results simulated by CLORNS code with test data, it is illustrated that the present code could simulate the aerodynamic loads and aerodynamic noise characteristics of helicopter rotor accurately. Keywords: Aerodynamic characteristics, Helicopter rotor, Moving-embedded grid, Navier-Stokes equations, Upwind schemes

Effect of panel shape of soccer ball on its flight characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sungchan; Asai, Takeshi

2014-05-01

Soccer balls are typically constructed from 32 pentagonal and hexagonal panels. Recently, however, newer balls named Cafusa, Teamgeist 2, and Jabulani were respectively produced from 32, 14, and 8 panels with shapes and designs dramatically different from those of conventional balls. The newest type of ball, named Brazuca, was produced from six panels and will be used in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. There have, however, been few studies on the aerodynamic properties of balls constructed from different numbers and shapes of panels. Hence, we used wind tunnel tests and a kick-robot to examine the relationship between the panel shape and orientation of modern soccer balls and their aerodynamic and flight characteristics. We observed a correlation between the wind tunnel test results and the actual ball trajectories, and also clarified how the panel characteristics affected the flight of the ball, which enabled prediction of the trajectory.

Genetic Algorithm Optimization of the Volute Shape of a Centrifugal Compressor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Heinrich

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A numerical model for the genetic optimization of the volute of a centrifugal compressor for light commercial vehicles is presented. The volute cross-sectional shape is represented by cubic B-splines and its control points are used as design variables. The goal of the global optimization is to maximize the average compressor isentropic efficiency and total pressure ratio at design speed and four operating points. The numerical model consists of a density-based solver in combination with the SST k-ω turbulence model with rotation/curvature correction and the multiple reference frame approach. The initial validation shows a good agreement between the numerical model and test bench measurements. As a result of the optimization, the average total pressure rise and efficiency are increased by over 1.0% compared to the initial designs of the optimization, while the maximum efficiency rise is nearly 2.5% at m˙corr=0.19 kg/s.

The leading-edge vortex of swift wing-shaped delta wings.

Science.gov (United States)

Muir, Rowan Eveline; Arredondo-Galeana, Abel; Viola, Ignazio Maria

2017-08-01

Recent investigations on the aerodynamics of natural fliers have illuminated the significance of the leading-edge vortex (LEV) for lift generation in a variety of flight conditions. A well-documented example of an LEV is that generated by aircraft with highly swept, delta-shaped wings. While the wing aerodynamics of a manoeuvring aircraft, a bird gliding and a bird in flapping flight vary significantly, it is believed that this existing knowledge can serve to add understanding to the complex aerodynamics of natural fliers. In this investigation, a model non-slender delta-shaped wing with a sharp leading edge is tested at low Reynolds number, along with a delta wing of the same design, but with a modified trailing edge inspired by the wing of a common swift Apus apus . The effect of the tapering swift wing on LEV development and stability is compared with the flow structure over the unmodified delta wing model through particle image velocimetry. For the first time, a leading-edge vortex system consisting of a dual or triple LEV is recorded on a swift wing-shaped delta wing, where such a system is found across all tested conditions. It is shown that the spanwise location of LEV breakdown is governed by the local chord rather than Reynolds number or angle of attack. These findings suggest that the trailing-edge geometry of the swift wing alone does not prevent the common swift from generating an LEV system comparable with that of a delta-shaped wing.

Aerostructural optimization of a morphing wing for airborne wind energy applications

Science.gov (United States)

Fasel, U.; Keidel, D.; Molinari, G.; Ermanni, P.

2017-09-01

Airborne wind energy (AWE) vehicles maximize energy production by constantly operating at extreme wing loading, permitted by high flight speeds. Additionally, the wide range of wind speeds and the presence of flow inhomogeneities and gusts create a complex and demanding flight environment for AWE systems. Adaptation to different flow conditions is normally achieved by conventional wing control surfaces and, in case of ground generator-based systems, by varying the reel-out speed. These control degrees of freedom enable to remain within the operational envelope, but cause significant penalties in terms of energy output. A significantly greater adaptability is offered by shape-morphing wings, which have the potential to achieve optimal performance at different flight conditions by tailoring their airfoil shape and lift distribution at different levels along the wingspan. Hence, the application of compliant structures for AWE wings is very promising. Furthermore, active gust load alleviation can be achieved through morphing, which leads to a lower weight and an expanded flight envelope, thus increasing the power production of the AWE system. This work presents a procedure to concurrently optimize the aerodynamic shape, compliant structure, and composite layup of a morphing wing for AWE applications. The morphing concept is based on distributed compliance ribs, actuated by electromechanical linear actuators, guiding the deformation of the flexible—yet load-carrying—composite skin. The goal of the aerostructural optimization is formulated as a high-level requirement, namely to maximize the average annual power production per wing area of an AWE system by tailoring the shape of the wing, and to extend the flight envelope of the wing by actively alleviating gust loads. The results of the concurrent multidisciplinary optimization show a 50.7% increase of extracted power with respect to a sequentially optimized design, highlighting the benefits of morphing and the

Creation of a Rapid High-Fidelity Aerodynamics Module for a Multidisciplinary Design Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, Muktha; Whittecar, William; Edwards, Stephen; Mavris, Dimitri N.

2012-01-01

In the traditional aerospace vehicle design process, each successive design phase is accompanied by an increment in the modeling fidelity of the disciplinary analyses being performed. This trend follows a corresponding shrinking of the design space as more and more design decisions are locked in. The correlated increase in knowledge about the design and decrease in design freedom occurs partly because increases in modeling fidelity are usually accompanied by significant increases in the computational expense of performing the analyses. When running high fidelity analyses, it is not usually feasible to explore a large number of variations, and so design space exploration is reserved for conceptual design, and higher fidelity analyses are run only once a specific point design has been selected to carry forward. The designs produced by this traditional process have been recognized as being limited by the uncertainty that is present early on due to the use of lower fidelity analyses. For example, uncertainty in aerodynamics predictions produces uncertainty in trajectory optimization, which can impact overall vehicle sizing. This effect can become more significant when trajectories are being shaped by active constraints. For example, if an optimal trajectory is running up against a normal load factor constraint, inaccuracies in the aerodynamic coefficient predictions can cause a feasible trajectory to be considered infeasible, or vice versa. For this reason, a trade must always be performed between the desired fidelity and the resources available. Apart from this trade between fidelity and computational expense, it is very desirable to use higher fidelity analyses earlier in the design process. A large body of work has been performed to this end, led by efforts in the area of surrogate modeling. In surrogate modeling, an up-front investment is made by running a high fidelity code over a Design of Experiments (DOE); once completed, the DOE data is used to create a

Shape optimization of an airfoil in a BZT flow with multiple-source uncertainties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Congedo, P.M.; Corre, C.; Martinez, J.M.

2011-01-01

Bethe-Zel'dovich-Thompson fluids (BZT) are characterized by negative values of the fundamental derivative of gas dynamics for a range of temperatures and pressures in the vapor phase, which leads to non-classical gas dynamic behaviors such as the disintegration of compression shocks. These non-classical phenomena can be exploited, when using these fluids in Organic Rankine Cycles (ORCs), to increase isentropic efficiency. A predictive numerical simulation of these flows must account for two main sources of physical uncertainties: the BZT fluid properties often difficult to measure accurately and the usually fluctuating turbine inlet conditions. For taking full advantage of the BZT properties, the turbine geometry must also be specifically designed, keeping in mind the geometry achieved in practice after machining always slightly differs from the theoretical shape. This paper investigates some efficient procedures to perform shape optimization in a 2D BZT flow with multiple-source uncertainties (thermodynamic model, operating conditions and geometry). To demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed efficient strategies for shape optimization in the presence of multiple-source uncertainties, a zero incidence symmetric airfoil wave-drag minimization problem is retained as a case-study. This simplified configuration encompasses most of the features associated with a turbine design problem, as far the uncertainty quantification is concerned. A preliminary analysis of the contributions to the variance of the wave-drag allows to select the most significant sources of uncertainties using a reduced number of flow computations. The resulting mean value and variance of the objective are next turned into meta models. The optimal Pareto sets corresponding to the minimization of various substitute functions are obtained using a genetic algorithm as optimizer and their differences are discussed. (authors)

Fault-tolerant control with mixed aerodynamic surfaces and RCS jets for hypersonic reentry vehicles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jingjing He

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a fault-tolerant strategy for hypersonic reentry vehicles with mixed aerodynamic surfaces and reaction control systems (RCS under external disturbances and subject to actuator faults. Aerodynamic surfaces are treated as the primary actuator in normal situations, and they are driven by a continuous quadratic programming (QP allocator to generate torque commanded by a nonlinear adaptive feedback control law. When aerodynamic surfaces encounter faults, they may not be able to provide sufficient torque as commanded, and RCS jets are activated to augment the aerodynamic surfaces to compensate for insufficient torque. Partial loss of effectiveness and stuck faults are considered in this paper, and observers are designed to detect and identify the faults. Based on the fault identification results, an RCS control allocator using integer linear programming (ILP techniques is designed to determine the optimal combination of activated RCS jets. By treating the RCS control allocator as a quantization element, closed-loop stability with both continuous and quantized inputs is analyzed. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Ground effect aerodynamics of racing cars

OpenAIRE

Zhang, Xin; Toet, Willem; Zerihan, Jonathan

2006-01-01

We review the progress made during the last thirty years on ground effect aerodynamics associated with race cars, in particular open wheel race cars. Ground effect aerodynamics of race cars is concerned with generating downforce, principally via low pressure on the surfaces nearest to the ground. The “ground effected” parts of an open wheeled car's aerodynamics are the most aerodynamically efficient and contribute less drag than that associated with, for example, an upper rear wing. Whilst dr...

Exploring bird aerodynamics using radio-controlled models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoey, Robert G

2010-01-01

A series of radio-controlled glider models was constructed by duplicating the aerodynamic shape of soaring birds (raven, turkey vulture, seagull and pelican). Controlled tests were conducted to determine the level of longitudinal and lateral-directional static stability, and to identify the characteristics that allowed flight without a vertical tail. The use of tail-tilt for controlling small bank-angle changes, as observed in soaring birds, was verified. Subsequent tests, using wing-tip ailerons, inferred that birds use a three-dimensional flow pattern around the wing tip (wing tip vortices) to control adverse yaw and to create a small amount of forward thrust in gliding flight.

Optical tracking of contrast medium bolus to optimize bolus shape and timing in dynamic computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisa, Fabian; Brauweiler, Robert; Peetz, Alexander; Hupfer, Martin; Nowak, Tristan; Kalender, Willi A

2012-01-01

One of the biggest challenges in dynamic contrast-enhanced CT is the optimal synchronization of scan start and duration with contrast medium administration in order to optimize image contrast and to reduce the amount of contrast medium. We present a new optically based approach, which was developed to investigate and optimize bolus timing and shape. The time-concentration curve of an intravenously injected test bolus of a dye is measured in peripheral vessels with an optical sensor prior to the diagnostic CT scan. The curves can be used to assess bolus shapes as a function of injection protocols and to determine contrast medium arrival times. Preliminary results for phantom and animal experiments showed the expected linear behavior between dye concentration and absorption. The kinetics of the dye was compared to iodinated contrast medium and was found to be in good agreement. The contrast enhancement curves were reliably detected in three mice with individual bolus shapes and delay times of 2.1, 3.5 and 6.1 s, respectively. The optical sensor appears to be a promising approach to optimize injection protocols and contrast enhancement timing and is applicable to all modalities without implying any additional radiation dose. Clinical tests are still necessary. (note)

Topology and shape optimization of induced-charge electro-osmotic micropumps

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gregersen, Misha Marie; Okkels, Fridolin; Bazant, M. Z.

2009-01-01

For a dielectric solid surrounded by an electrolyte and positioned inside an externally biased parallel-plate capacitor, we study numerically how the resulting induced-charge electro-osmotic (ICEO) flow depends on the topology and shape of the dielectric solid. In particular, we extend existing...... conventional electrokinetic models with an artificial design field to describe the transition from the liquid electrolyte to the solid dielectric. Using this design field, we have succeeded in applying the method of topology optimization to find system geometries with non-trivial topologies that maximize...... the net induced electro-osmotic flow rate through the electrolytic capacitor in the direction parallel to the capacitor plates. Once found, the performance of the topology-optimized geometries has been validated by transferring them to conventional electrokinetic models not relying on the artificial...

Aerodynamic Aspects of Wind Energy Conversion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Jens Nørkær

2011-01-01

This article reviews the most important aerodynamic research topics in the field of wind energy. Wind turbine aerodynamics concerns the modeling and prediction of aerodynamic forces, such as performance predictions of wind farms, and the design of specific parts of wind turbines, such as rotor...

Aerodynamic Noise Generated by Shinkansen Cars

Science.gov (United States)

KITAGAWA, T.; NAGAKURA, K.

2000-03-01

The noise value (A -weighted sound pressure level, SLOW) generated by Shinkansen trains, now running at 220-300 km/h, should be less than 75 dB(A) at the trackside. Shinkansen noise, such as rolling noise, concrete support structure noise, and aerodynamic noise are generated by various parts of Shinkansen trains. Among these aerodynamic noise is important because it is the major contribution to the noise generated by the coaches running at high speed. In order to reduce the aerodynamic noise, a number of improvements to coaches have been made. As a result, the aerodynamic noise has been reduced, but it still remains significant. In addition, some aerodynamic noise generated from the lower parts of cars remains. In order to investigate the contributions of these noises, a method of analyzing Shinkansen noise has been developed and applied to the measured data of Shinkansen noise at speeds between 120 and 315 km/h. As a result, the following conclusions have been drawn: (1) Aerodynamic noise generated from the upper parts of cars was reduced considerably by smoothing car surfaces. (2) Aerodynamic noise generated from the lower parts of cars has a major influence upon the wayside noise.

A unified free-form representation applied to the shape optimization of the hohlraum with octahedral 6 laser entrance holes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jiang, Shaoen; Ding, Yongkun; Huang, Yunbao; Li, Haiyan; Jing, Longfei; Huang, Tianxuan

2016-01-01

The hohlraum is very crucial for indirect laser driven Inertial Confinement Fusion. Usually, its shape is designed as sphere, cylinder, or rugby with some kind of fixed functions, such as ellipse or parabola. Recently, a spherical hohlraum with octahedral 6 laser entrance holes (LEHs) has been presented with high flux symmetry [Lan et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 010704 (2014); 21, 052704 (2014)]. However, there is only one shape parameter, i.e., the hohlraum to capsule radius ratio, being optimized. In this paper, we build the hohlraum with octahedral 6LEHs with a unified free-form representation, in which, by varying additional shape parameters: (1) available hohlraum shapes can be uniformly and accurately represented, (2) it can be used to understand why the spherical hohlraum has higher flux symmetry, (3) it allows us to obtain a feasible shape design field satisfying flux symmetry constraints, and (4) a synthetically optimized hohlraum can be obtained with a tradeoff of flux symmetry and other hohlraum performance. Finally, the hohlraum with octahedral 6LEHs is modeled, analyzed, and then optimized based on the unified free-form representation. The results show that a feasible shape design field with flux asymmetry no more than 1% can be obtained, and over the feasible design field, the spherical hohlraum is validated to have the highest flux symmetry, and a synthetically optimal hohlraum can be found with closing flux symmetry but larger volume between laser spots and centrally located capsule

A unified free-form representation applied to the shape optimization of the hohlraum with octahedral 6 laser entrance holes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Shaoen; Ding, Yongkun [Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China); Center for Applied Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Huang, Yunbao, E-mail: Huangyblhy@gmail.com, E-mail: scmyking-2008@163.com; Li, Haiyan [Key Laboratory of Computer Integrated Manufacturing System, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006 (China); Jing, Longfei, E-mail: Huangyblhy@gmail.com, E-mail: scmyking-2008@163.com; Huang, Tianxuan [Laser Fusion Research Center, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang 621900 (China)

2016-01-15

The hohlraum is very crucial for indirect laser driven Inertial Confinement Fusion. Usually, its shape is designed as sphere, cylinder, or rugby with some kind of fixed functions, such as ellipse or parabola. Recently, a spherical hohlraum with octahedral 6 laser entrance holes (LEHs) has been presented with high flux symmetry [Lan et al., Phys. Plasmas 21, 010704 (2014); 21, 052704 (2014)]. However, there is only one shape parameter, i.e., the hohlraum to capsule radius ratio, being optimized. In this paper, we build the hohlraum with octahedral 6LEHs with a unified free-form representation, in which, by varying additional shape parameters: (1) available hohlraum shapes can be uniformly and accurately represented, (2) it can be used to understand why the spherical hohlraum has higher flux symmetry, (3) it allows us to obtain a feasible shape design field satisfying flux symmetry constraints, and (4) a synthetically optimized hohlraum can be obtained with a tradeoff of flux symmetry and other hohlraum performance. Finally, the hohlraum with octahedral 6LEHs is modeled, analyzed, and then optimized based on the unified free-form representation. The results show that a feasible shape design field with flux asymmetry no more than 1% can be obtained, and over the feasible design field, the spherical hohlraum is validated to have the highest flux symmetry, and a synthetically optimal hohlraum can be found with closing flux symmetry but larger volume between laser spots and centrally located capsule.

Combined Structural Optimization and Aeroelastic Analysis of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Roscher, Björn; Ferreira, Carlos Simao; Bernhammer, Lars O.

2015-01-01

Floating offshore wind energy poses challenges on the turbine design. A possible solution is vertical axis wind turbines, which are possibly easier to scale-up and require less components (lower maintenance) and a smaller floating structure than horizontal axis wind turbines. This paper presents...... a structural optimization and aeroelastic analysis of an optimized Troposkein vertical axis wind turbine to minimize the relation between the rotor mass and the swept area. The aeroelastic behavior of the different designs has been analyzed using a modified version of the HAWC2 code with the Actuator Cylinder...... model to compute the aerodynamics of the vertical axis wind turbine. The combined shape and topology optimization of a vertical axis wind turbine show a minimum mass to area ratio of 1.82 kg/m2 for blades with varying blade sections from a NACA 0040 at the attachment points to a NACA 0015...

Thermal bump removal of a crystal monochromator by designing an optimal shape

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Micha, Jean-Sébastien, E-mail: micha@esrf.fr [CRG-IF BM32 Beamline, ESRF, 6 rue J. Horowitz, BP 220, 38043 Grenoble (France); UMR SPrAM 5819, CEA-Grenoble/INAC/SPrAM, 17 avenue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Geaymond, Olivier [CRG-IF BM32 Beamline, ESRF, 6 rue J. Horowitz, BP 220, 38043 Grenoble (France); Institut Néel, CNRS, 25 avenue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France); Rieutord, Francois [CRG-IF BM32 Beamline, ESRF, 6 rue J. Horowitz, BP 220, 38043 Grenoble (France); CEA-Grenoble/INAC/NRS, 17 avenue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble Cedex 9 (France)

2013-05-11

Thermal bump arising at illuminated area of a water cooled monochromator crystal can be considerably reduced by designing an appropriate shape. Temperature and deformation have been simulated by finite element analysis (FEA) computations as a function of few geometrical parameters describing the shape of the crystal. As a result, a new crystal shape has been found which optimizes the throughput of a double crystals monochromator (DCM). Performances of the initial rectangular crystal and the new designed crystal predicted by FEA-based calculations and measured during experimental tests on a synchrotron beamline are reported. General design principles to overcome heat load issues and the objective function using the slope errors derived from FEA results are detailed. Current and foreseen performances at higher load are presented. Finally, advantages and limits of this simple-to-design and cheap solution are discussed.

Numerical Investigation of Aerodynamic Braking for a Ground Vehicle

Science.gov (United States)

Devanuri, Jaya Krishna

2018-06-01

The purpose of this article is to observe the effect of an air brake on the aerodynamics of a ground vehicle and also to study the influence of change in the parameters like the velocity of the vehicle, the angle of inclination, height, and position of the air brake on the aerodynamics of the vehicle body. The test subject used is an Ahmed body which is a generic 3D car body as it retains all the aerodynamic characteristics of a ground vehicle. Numerical investigation has been carried out by RNG k-ɛ turbulence model. Results are presented in terms of streamlines and drag coefficient to understand the influence of pertinent parameters on flow physics. It is found that with the use of an air brake, though the drag coefficient remains more or less constant with velocity, it increases with the increase in height and angle of inclination of the air brake. But the effect of position of air brake on the coefficient of drag is surprising since for certain heights of the air brake the drag coefficient is maximum at the foremost point and as the air brake moves towards the rear it is first observed to decrease and then increase. It is also observed that with the increase in height of the air brake the drag coefficient monotonically decreases as the position of the air brake is moved towards the rear. Taguchi method has been employed with L16 orthogonal array to obtain the optimal configuration for the air brake. For each of the selected parameters, four different levels have been chosen to obtain the maximum drag coefficient value. The study could provide an invaluable database for the optimal design of an airbrake for a ground vehicle.

On the design of innovative heterogeneous tests using a shape optimization approach

Science.gov (United States)

Aquino, J.; Campos, A. Andrade; Souto, N.; Thuillier, S.

2018-05-01

The development of full-field measurement methods enabled a new trend of mechanical tests. By providing the inhomogeneous strain field from the tests, these techniques are being widely used in sheet metal identification strategies, through heterogeneous mechanical tests. In this work, a heterogeneous mechanical test with an innovative tool/specimen shape, capable of producing rich heterogeneous strain paths providing extensive information on material behavior, is aimed. The specimen is found using a shape optimization process where a dedicated indicator that evaluates the richness of strain information is used. The methodology and results here presented are extended to non-specimen geometry dependence and to the non-dependence of the geometry parametrization through the use of the Ritz method for boundary value problems. Different curve models, such as Splines, B-Splines and NURBS, are used and C1 continuity throughout the specimen is guaranteed. Moreover, various optimization methods are used, deterministic and stochastic, in order to find the method or a combination of methods able to effectively minimize the cost function.

Impact analysis of the spacer grid assembly and shape optimization of the attached spring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, K. J.; Lee, Z. N. [Hanyang University, Seoul (Korea)

2002-04-01

Spacer grids support fuel rods and maintain geometry from external impact loads. A simulation is performed for the strength of a spacer grid under the impact load. The critical impact load that leads to plastic deformation is identified by a free-fall test. A finite element model is established for the nonlinear simulation of the impact process. The simulation model is tuned based on the free-fall test. The model considers the aspects of welding and the contacts between components. Nonlinear finite element analysis is carried out using a software system called ABAQUS/EXPLICIT. The results are discussed from a design viewpoint. Design requirements are defined and a design process is established. The design process includes mathematical optimization as well as practical design method. The shape of the grid spring is designed to maintain its function during the lifetime of the fuel assembly. A structural optimization method is employed for the shape design. A good design is found. Commercial codes are utilized for structural analysis and optimization. 18 refs., 61 figs., 3 tabs. (Author)

Shape Optimization for Navier-Stokes Equations with Algebraic Turbulence Model: Existence Analysis

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Bulíček, M.; Haslinger, J.; Málek, J.; Stebel, Jan

2009-01-01

Roč. 60, č. 2 (2009), s. 185-212 ISSN 0095-4616 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC06052 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : optimal shape design * paper machine headbox * incompressible non-Newtonian fluid * algebraic turbulence model * outflow boundary condition Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.757, year: 2009

Automatic generation of 3D statistical shape models with optimal landmark distributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Heimann, T; Wolf, I; Meinzer, H-P

2007-01-01

To point out the problem of non-uniform landmark placement in statistical shape modeling, to present an improved method for generating landmarks in the 3D case and to propose an unbiased evaluation metric to determine model quality. Our approach minimizes a cost function based on the minimum description length (MDL) of the shape model to optimize landmark correspondences over the training set. In addition to the standard technique, we employ an extended remeshing method to change the landmark distribution without losing correspondences, thus ensuring a uniform distribution over all training samples. To break the dependency of the established evaluation measures generalization and specificity from the landmark distribution, we change the internal metric from landmark distance to volumetric overlap. Redistributing landmarks to an equally spaced distribution during the model construction phase improves the quality of the resulting models significantly if the shapes feature prominent bulges or other complex geometry. The distribution of landmarks on the training shapes is -- beyond the correspondence issue -- a crucial point in model construction.

Design Of An Aerodynamic Measurement System For Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Airfoils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Velázquez-Araque

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the design and validation of a measurement system for aerodynamic characteristics of unmanned aerial vehicles. An aerodynamic balance was designed in order to measure the lift, drag forces and pitching moment for different airfoils. During the design process, several aspects were analyzed in order to produce an efficient design, for instance the range of changes of the angle of attack with and a small increment and the versatility of being adapted to different type of airfoils, since it is a wire balance it was aligned and calibrated as well. Wind tunnel tests of a two dimensional NACA four digits family airfoil and four different modifications of this airfoil were performed to validate the aerodynamic measurement system. The modification of this airfoil was made in order to create a blowing outlet with the shape of a step on the suction surface. Therefore, four different locations along the cord line for this blowing outlet were analyzed. This analysis involved the aerodynamic performance which meant obtaining lift, drag and pitching moment coefficients curves as a function of the angle of attack experimentally for the situation where the engine of the aerial vehicle is turned off, called the no blowing condition, by means of wind tunnel tests. The experiments were performed in a closed circuit wind tunnel with an open test section. Finally, results of the wind tunnel tests were compared with numerical results obtained by means of computational fluid dynamics as well as with other experimental references and found to be in good agreement.

Variable stiffness corrugated composite structure with shape memory polymer for morphing skin applications

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xiaobo; Liu, Liwu; Scarpa, Fabrizio; Leng, Jinsong; Liu, Yanju

2017-03-01

This work presents a variable stiffness corrugated structure based on a shape memory polymer (SMP) composite with corrugated laminates as reinforcement that shows smooth aerodynamic surface, extreme mechanical anisotropy and variable stiffness for potential morphing skin applications. The smart composite corrugated structure shows a low in-plane stiffness to minimize the actuation energy, but also possess high out-of-plane stiffness to transfer the aerodynamic pressure load. The skin provides an external smooth aerodynamic surface because of the one-sided filling with the SMP. Due to variable stiffness of the shape memory polymer the morphing skin exhibits a variable stiffness with a change of temperature, which can help the skin adjust its stiffness according different service environments and also lock the temporary shape without external force. Analytical models related to the transverse and bending stiffness are derived and validated using finite element techniques. The stiffness of the morphing skin is further investigated by performing a parametric analysis against the geometry of the corrugation and various sets of SMP fillers. The theoretical and numerical models show a good agreement and demonstrate the potential of this morphing skin concept for morphing aircraft applications. We also perform a feasibility study of the use of this morphing skin in a variable camber morphing wing baseline. The results show that the morphing skin concept exhibits sufficient bending stiffness to withstand the aerodynamic load at low speed (less than 0.3 Ma), while demonstrating a large transverse stiffness variation (up to 191 times) that helps to create a maximum mechanical efficiency of the structure under varying external conditions.

Aerodynamic properties of six organo-mineral fertiliser particles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcello Biocca

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Agricultural fertilisers are generally applied by means of centrifugal disk spreaders. The machinery, the working conditions and the physical characteristics of fertilizers (including the aerodynamic characteristics of particles may affect the behaviour of particles after the discarding from the spreader. We investigated the aerodynamic properties of organo-mineral fertilisers (a class of slow release fertilisers that are less investigated since they are relatively new in the market using a vertical wind tunnel similar to an elutriator. In the same time, the morphological characteristics of individual fertilizer particles were measured by means of an image analysis procedure. In the study we compare six different fertilisers and we discuss the suitability of the employed methods. The results provide the terminal velocity – Vt – (the velocity value that overcome the gravity force of the particles of the particles, ranging from 8.60 to 9.55 m s-1, and the relationships between Vt and some physical properties (mass, shape, dimensions of the fertilizers. Moreover, the results of field distribution trials show the behaviour of the tested fertilizers during practical use. Such data can contribute to enhance the quality of application of these products in field.

Shape optimization in 2D contact problems with given friction and a solution-dependent coefficient of friction

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Haslinger, J.; Outrata, Jiří; Pathó, R.

2012-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 1 (2012), s. 31-59 ISSN 1877-0533 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Institutional support: RVO:67985556 Keywords : shape optimization * Signorini problem * model with given frinction * solution-dependent coefficient of friction * mathematical probrams with equilibrium constraints Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 1.036, year: 2012 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2012/MTR/outrata-shape optimization in 2d contact problems with given friction and a solution-dependent coefficient of friction .pdf

Steady, Oscillatory, and Unsteady Subsonic and Supersonic Aerodynamics, production version (SOUSSA-P 1.1). Volume 1: Theoretical manual. [Green function

Science.gov (United States)

Morino, L.

1980-01-01

Recent developments of the Green's function method and the computer program SOUSSA (Steady, Oscillatory, and Unsteady Subsonic and Supersonic Aerodynamics) are reviewed and summarized. Applying the Green's function method to the fully unsteady (transient) potential equation yields an integro-differential-delay equation. With spatial discretization by the finite-element method, this equation is approximated by a set of differential-delay equations in time. Time solution by Laplace transform yields a matrix relating the velocity potential to the normal wash. Premultiplying and postmultiplying by the matrices relating generalized forces to the potential and the normal wash to the generalized coordinates one obtains the matrix of the generalized aerodynamic forces. The frequency and mode-shape dependence of this matrix makes the program SOUSSA useful for multiple frequency and repeated mode-shape evaluations.

Development of multidisciplinary design optimization procedures for smart composite wings and turbomachinery blades

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, Ratneshwar

Broyden-Fletcher-Goldberg-Shanno algorithm. The optimization problem is formulated with the objective of simultaneously minimizing wing weight and maximizing its aerodynamic efficiency. Design variables include composite ply orientations, ply thicknesses, wing sweep, piezoelectric actuator thickness and actuator voltage. Constraints are placed on the flutter/divergence dynamic pressure, wing root stresses and the maximum electric field applied to the actuators. Numerical results are presented showing significant improvements, after optimization, compared to reference designs. The multidisciplinary optimization procedure for the design of turbomachinery blades integrates aerodynamic and heat transfer design objective criteria along with various mechanical and geometric constraints on the blade geometry. The airfoil shape is represented by Bezier-Bernstein polynomials, which results in a relatively small number of design variables for the optimization. Thin shear layer approximation of the Navier-Stokes equation is used for the viscous flow calculations. Grid generation is accomplished by solving Poisson equations. The maximum and average blade temperatures are obtained through a finite element analysis. Total pressure and exit kinetic energy losses are minimized, with constraints on blade temperatures and geometry. The constrained multiobjective optimization problem is solved using the K-S function approach. The results for the numerical example show significant improvements after optimization.